Cybercrime Squad detectives have charged a former student for a series of alleged cyber hacks on Western Sydney University under Strike Force Docker.
Since 2021, Western Sydney University experienced a series of cyber hacks involving unauthorised access, data exfiltration, system compromise and misuse of university infrastructure – including threatening the sale of student information on the dark web.
It is estimated that hundreds of university staff and students were affected by these incidents.
The matter was referred to State Crime Command's Cybercrime Squad who established Strike Force Docker to investigate.
Strike force detectives, working closely with Western Sydney University, the AFP Joint Policing Cyber Coordination Centre, JCP3 and cyber security experts, identified the alleged hacker was a former student of the university.
In June this year, a 27-year-old woman was arrested and charged. She remains before the courts.
Following her arrest, police will allege the offending continued – with over 100,000 fraudulent emails sent to students designed to tarnish the reputation of the university and cause distress to students.
About 7.30am yesterday (Thursday 4 December 2025), strike force detectives – with assistance from the Public Order & Riot Squad – executed a search warrant in North Kellyville.
At the address, police arrested a 27-year-old woman.
Police will allege the woman was in possession of a mobile phone which had been modified to use as a computer terminal to commit the cyber offences.
She was taken to The Hills Police Station, where she was charged with two counts of unauthorised function with intent serious offence (penalty> 10 y), two counts of fabricate false evidence with intent to mislead judicial tribunal, and breach of bail.
The woman was refused bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court today (Friday 5 December 2025), where police will allege the woman was responsible for the continued hack of the university.
Police will further allege the woman fabricated and posted material designed to exculpate herself in the ongoing court matter.
