Former Sydney Student's Hack Attack Shakes Western Sydney University
Imagine starting off trying to dodge a campus parking fee and ending up charged with over 20 serious cybercrime offences. That’s the bizarre but very real story of Birdie Kingston, a 27-year-old former student of Western Sydney University who’s now facing a courtroom instead of graduation day.
Over the course of four years, police allege Kingston orchestrated a sustained hacking campaign against the university—beginning in 2021. What started, reportedly, as an attempt to game the parking system, soon evolved into something far more serious. Authorities say she began infiltrating the university’s internal systems, modifying her own academic results, and ultimately accessing sensitive personal data of both students and staff.
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The most alarming twist? Kingston allegedly threatened to sell this data on the dark web, even going so far as to post a ransom demand—$40,000 worth of cryptocurrency—in November 2024. While the university chose not to pay up, police have confirmed the threats were taken seriously. Investigators from the NSW Police Cybercrime Squad, along with the Australian Federal Police, conducted searches and surveillance before finally arresting Kingston at her Kingswood home in June 2025.
According to Detective Acting Superintendent Jason Smith, the scale of the cyber intrusion was substantial. More than 100 gigabytes of data were seized, and though police are still combing through its contents, the university community remains on edge. While there’s no confirmed evidence yet that the data was sold or published, the potential damage is vast, especially considering past breaches involved up to 7,500 individuals’ sensitive information.
Kingston’s alleged actions weren’t random, either. Police believe they were motivated by personal grievances with the university that had accumulated over years. The extent of her access and technical capabilities suggests she wasn’t just experimenting—this was a deliberate, sustained cyber campaign. The university has since ramped up cybersecurity measures, including hiring specialists and deploying new technologies to prevent similar breaches in the future.
Currently out on bail under strict conditions—including a ban on using internet-connected devices—Kingston is set to appear again at Penrith Local Court on July 18. As the investigation continues, questions linger about just how vulnerable universities are to internal threats.
This case isn't just about hacking or grades or even parking—it’s a wake-up call for how institutions protect digital assets, and a reminder of the thin line between student frustrations and cybercrime.
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