Higher education institutions may be considered as out-of-scope targets for ransomware operators, however, trends show that things are quite the opposite. Three independent colleges have been hit by ransomware. These are North Carolina A&T University, Austin Pay State University and Lincoln College, which were later shut down due to cyber attacks.
Lincoln College closed after the Ransomware attack
After 157 years of operation, Lincoln College had to close due to ransomware: initially from being affected by an epidemic that directly affected its ability to recruit and raise funds in a ransomware attack in December that left the organization without access to critical information. This reduces the chances of finding new students.
On the Lincoln College website, there is a notice that reads
All systems required for recruitment, retention and fundraising efforts were ineffective. Fortunately, no personally identifiable information was released. Once fully restored in March 2022, estimates show significant enrollment deficits, requiring a transformative donation or partnership to sustain Lincoln College outside of the current semester.
Hit Austin Pay with Cybertack
Austin Pay State University announced on Twitter on April 27 that it had been affected by a ransomware attack.
APSU Warning: Ransom War Attack. It’s not a test. Shut down all computers now!
– Austin Pay State University (ustaustinpeay) April 27, 2022
Its systems went offline for 3 days, but were later recovered The ransomware is said to have entered the college network using phishing emails as entry points, as students were advised to be wary of suspicious links.
Even the governor’s student body has issued one Application Postponement of final examination due to this incident.
BlackCat Ransomware targets North Carolina A&T
According to Hilltop public, A&T University of North Carolina was also targeted by ransomware by the ALPHV / Blackcat gang. The school was in Spring Break when threatening actors were able to damage instructional equipment, VPNs, single sign-on websites and some school wireless connections as part of their ransomware operations. Allegedly, Blackcat stole personal information, including teachers and students’ social security numbers. The threatening actors also claimed to have received email databases, SQL, financial information and contracts.
But officially what the university officials said Statement The threat was quite different from the claims of the actors. The organization announced that no personal information had been stolen and that the ransomware attack had only affected the school system.
Chris ClementsCerberus Sentinel’s vice president of solution architecture said:
To stay safe, companies must adopt a culture of security that creates cyber security awareness and protection in all business activities. (…) It is much easier to do this as soon as possible than to try to restore the best practices of safety in a mature and diverse environment. Acquiring cybersecurity rights is a challenging task, but the growing risk of damage from attacks means that it must be taken seriously to protect companies from potentially destructive damage.
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