What Happened
On June 17, 2020, AMA University was breached by the hacker group Pinoy Grayhats. The attack was part of a coordinated campaign targeting multiple Philippine universities, including FEU, Cebu Normal University, Tarlac Agricultural University, and others.
The Pinoy Grayhats claimed they had warned schools about vulnerabilities but were ignored, prompting them to demonstrate the weaknesses publicly.
Broader Context
AMA University was one of over 20 Philippine schools hacked in June 2020 alone. The wave of attacks exposed how unprepared many Philippine schools were for digital security as they transitioned to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How to Prevent This
- 1.Respond to vulnerability reports promptly — when security researchers report issues, treat them as urgent
- 2.Conduct regular security assessments — schedule penetration tests at least annually
- 3.Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) — to block common attack vectors
- 4.Use parameterized queries — prevent SQL injection in student portals
- 5.Enforce strong authentication — require MFA for all admin and staff accounts
Sources & References
All sources are independently verified. Access dates and archive links are recorded for each citation.
- [1]Rappler — FEU investigating possible hack — AMA University mentioned as part of Pinoy Grayhats campaign (June 17, 2020)
- [2]Manila Bulletin — Anatomy of a hack: How hackers breached vulnerable PH schools (July 1, 2020)
- [3]Secuna Blog — More than 20 Philippine schools hacked just this June — AMA listed among affected institutions
- [4]GitHub (ajdumanhug/gothacked) — Registry of Philippine school hacking incidents — AMA listed June 17, 2020 by Pinoy Grayhats