A massive cyberattack has left 600 staff and students at one of Malta’s major colleges locked out of their Microsoft Teams accounts over the past days.
The hack hit St Albert the Great College, raising concerns about the potential loss of academic data and sensitive information.
But other schools might also have been targeted. In reply to questions sent by Times of Malta, the police said they received three reports of alleged hacking, but since the investigations were at an early stage, it was “not prudent” to provide further information.
Contacted for comment, college rector Fr Aaron Zahra OP confirmed the breach, saying the college, which operates a primary and secondary school in Valletta and a kindergarten in Fgura, discovered the attack on March 5, during the carnival holidays.
College rector Fr Aaron Zahra. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier“We realised it had happened because we were automatically locked out of our Teams account,” Fr Zahra explained.
At least 120 staff and 450 students were locked out.
Academic materials, including handouts, homework assignments, and communication between administration and staff were stored on the accounts. And crucially, some compromised accounts also contained sensitive data related to social cases being investigated by the college. The e-mail accounts used by staff and students were not affected, however.
Zahra said the college took swift action, reporting the incident to the police cybercrime unit, and he praised the unit’s rapid response.
“They were very helpful and very fast to act. Within two hours of reporting the incident at the Valletta police station, both myself and our IT technician received two calls from the unit. They are taking the case very seriously.”
'Other schools could be targeted in coming weeks'
The school also approached Microsoft, which also confirmed the hack and initiated its own investigation, promising to provide an update within eight days.
In the meantime, the college is implementing a temporary alternative to ensure the continuity of educational services.
“We are working on a temporary alternative while the issue is resolved, so that we may continue to provide the best educational service to our students and staff,” Fr Zahra assured.
Microsoft Teams is used across the entire education system in Malta and gained significant popularity since the pandemic, as it provides a central hub for real-time interaction through chat, video conferencing, and file sharing, enabling students and teachers to seamlessly work together on projects and share resources.
Teachers can organise classes, assignments and resources in one accessible location, helping students stay organised and easily access materials.
Education sources told Times of Malta that other schools may have been targeted by similar cyberattacks around the same period, or may be in the coming weeks, raising concerns about a potentially wider hacking campaign.
The investigation is ongoing, and the college is cooperating fully with authorities to determine the extent of the damage and identify the perpetrators.