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Computer hackers are receiving the blame for the leaked photos of a scantily clad Christina Aguilera that surfaced on the Internet on Wednesday.

Aguilera's representatives claim that hackers illegally obtained racy photos of the pop star by tapping into her personal stylist's account. According to the rep, the semi-nude photos of Aguilera were supposed to be kept private.

The issue of computer hacking is a widespread concern at colleges and universities throughout the U.S. The recent news that a major celebrity's privacy was breached serves as a reminder that anyone who uses the Internet is susceptible to digital attacks.

More than 2.3 million records at colleges across the U.S. have been breached since 2008, according to database software company Application Security. More than 230 million records have been compromised since 2005, another report by the company states.

"When an attacker gets access to university databases, it's like hitting the jackpot," said Josh Shaul, the vice president of Application Security's product management.

The report recommends that higher education institutions familiarize themselves with the ever-changing threats of cyber hackers, as well as the high costs and risk associated with leaving data unprotected.

In some cases, the individuals who are enrolled in college courses that are the culprits behind hacking incidents. Forbes magazine reports that two students at the University of Central Missouri cracked the school's databases last year, which allowed them to filter money from students' bank accounts into their own. They also were able to steal thousands of students' personal information, which they tried to sell to interested buyers.

The news provider reports that one of those buyers was an undercover federal agent. Both hackers have since been arrested, spreading a message to other hackers that the authorities are serious about tracking illegal breaches.

Although not considered as severe as identity left, illegal file sharing has also become a hot topic at colleges and universities. The popular music service LimeWire recently announced that it will shut down its operation by the end of the year due to legal pressure. According to The New York Times, the beginning of the end for LimeWire came in May, when a federal judge ruled that the file-sharing company was liable for copyright infringement and could be forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

In the absence of LimeWire, many college students will have to find a new way to download music. The Daily Eastern News reports that Eastern Illinois University had already banned Limewire, and students who are found guilty of copyright violations are subject to fines, community service or loss of network connectivity.