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Ucas was targeted by hackers who attempted to sabotage the system mere hours before thousands of students received their A-level results, the admissions body has revealed.
The attempt was quickly shut down by Ucas, who says its change in technology has given the system a "massive resilience".
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Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of Ucas, said staff were "pretty upset" at the attempt. "The incident was contained very, very quickly and no personal data was released to anybody.
"Really we were pretty upset that anybody would think of disrupting such an important day for so many people who are getting their A-level results and finding out whether they are going to university.
"Thankfully it was all contained and everything is working 100 per cent normally today.
"This year we have made a step-change in our technology arrangements and most of our critical services are deployed in the cloud, which gives us massive resilience."
A-Level Results Day 2013
A-level results(01 of35)
Bridie McGrail speaks on her moblie phone after receiving her A Level results at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
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Umamah Taruala after receiving her A Level results at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
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Rosalind Barnett, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, reads her A-Level exam results for the first time to see she has achieved 2 A* and 1 A to secure her a place at Nottingham University studying Psychology. (credit:PA)
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Sandra Forbes reacts after receiving better than expected A Level results, at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
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Rosalind Barnett, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, reads her A-Level exam results for the first time to see she has achieved 2 A* and 1 A to secure her a place at Nottingham University studying Psychology. (credit:PA)
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Sandra Forbes reacts after receiving better than expected A Level results, at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
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Sandra Forbes reacts after receiving better than expected A Level results, at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
A-level results(08 of35)
Nell Ranken, Rebecca Verlander, Louis Hill, Alice Simpson and Bridie McGrail (left to right) receive their A Level results at Stoke Newington School, in Stoke Newington, north London. (credit:PA)
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Krystyna Smolinski, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, reads her A-Level exam results for the first time to see she has achieved 4 A* to secure her a place at Cambridge University studying Natural Sciences. (credit:PA)
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Some of the top achieving A* students at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, David Moseley, right, who achieved 1 A* 2 As 1 B and his friend Stephen Fulham, left, who achieved 2 A* 1 A read their results away from the crowds. (credit:PA)
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St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School pupil Susanna Harvey, left, smiles after reading her 2 A* and 1 A results as her friend Tiffany Irwin nervously prepares to read her A-Level results. (credit:PA)
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Krystyna Smolinski, who has achieved 4 A* to secure her a place at Cambridge University studying Natural Sciences and Special needs student Jeremy Budd, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, who achieved 4A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy and the highest grades possible in the two extension (STEP) mathematics papers he took and has been offered a place at Cambridge University to study mathematics. (credit:PA)
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Top achieving A* students at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School pupils wave their their A-Level results in the air. (credit:PA)
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Special needs student Jeremy Budd, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, who achieved 4A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy and the highest grades possible in the two extension (STEP) mathematics papers he took and has been offered a place at Cambridge University to study mathematics. (credit:PA)
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St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School pupil Susanna Harvey, centre, smiles after reading her 2 A* and 1 A results as her friends prepare to read their A-Level results. (credit:PA)
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Krystyna Smolinski, who has achieved 4 A* to secure her a place at Cambridge University studying Natural Sciences and Special needs student Jeremy Budd, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, who achieved 4A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy and the highest grades possible in the two extension (STEP) mathematics papers he took and has been offered a place at Cambridge University to study mathematics. (credit:PA)
A-level results(17 of35)
Krystyna Smolinski, who has achieved 4 A* to secure her a place at Cambridge University studying Natural Sciences and Special needs student Jeremy Budd, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, who achieved 4A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy and the highest grades possible in the two extension (STEP) mathematics papers he took and has been offered a place at Cambridge University to study mathematics. (credit:PA)
A-level results(18 of35)
Special needs student Jeremy Budd, from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, who achieved 4A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy and the highest grades possible in the two extension (STEP) mathematics papers he took and has been offered a place at Cambridge University to study mathematics. (credit:PA)
A-level results(19 of35)
Some of the top achieving A* students at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, Anna Skinner, centre, who achieved 2 A*s 1 A and her friends Tiffany Irwin, left, who acheived 1 A* 2 As and Rosalind Barnett, right, who achieved 2 A*s 1 A, read their results. (credit:PA)
A-level results(20 of35)
Two girls celebrate their results at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
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A student holds her results at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
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(L-R) Katy Lucas, Jessica Lance, India Dhadra, Beth Kelly and Rachel Madden celebrate their exams results at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
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Tom Woodward celebrates on receiving 1 A* and 2 As after having treatment for cancer during his exams at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
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Megan Larner celebrates grades of A*, A, and B at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
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Megan Larner celebrates grades of A*, A, and B at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
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Hannah Short celebrates grades of A*, A and B at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
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Students Jonathan Cushenan and Hannah Cole, celebrate their A levels results outside Ballymena Academy in County Antrim. (credit:PA)
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Hannah Short celebrates grades of A*, A and B at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
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India Dhadra celebrates grades of A, A, and C at Brighton College in East Sussex as students receive their A Levels results across the country. (credit:PA)
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Nino Harris, 19, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, a self-confessed "bad boy" who was forced to retake his first year of A-levels and now has won a place at the University of Oxford. (credit:PA)
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Withington Independent Girls School pupils pose for parents cameras as they receive their A level exam results on August 15, 2013 in Manchester, England. Over 300,000 teenagers are getting the results of their A-levels today as university admissions body UCAS said a record number of students have been accepted by UK universities. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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Withington Independent Girls School pupils pose for parents cameras as they receive their A level exam results on August 15, 2013 in Manchester, England. Over 300,000 teenagers are getting the results of their A-levels today as university admissions body UCAS said a record number of students have been accepted by UK universities. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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Withington Independent Girls School pupils pose for parents cameras as they receive their A level exam results on August 15, 2013 in Manchester, England. Over 300,000 teenagers are getting the results of their A-levels today as university admissions body UCAS said a record number of students have been accepted by UK universities. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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Withington Independent Girls School pupils pose for parents cameras as they receive their A level exam results on August 15, 2013 in Manchester, England. Over 300,000 teenagers are getting the results of their A-levels today as university admissions body UCAS said a record number of students have been accepted by UK universities. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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Withington Independent Girls School pupils pose for parents cameras as they receive their A level exam results on August 15, 2013 in Manchester, England. Over 300,000 teenagers are getting the results of their A-levels today as university admissions body UCAS said a record number of students have been accepted by UK universities. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
A statement from the company added website suffered a "sustained, criminal 'denial of service' attack", causing the site to go down for an hour. Ucas insisted no information was compromised.