Washington DC’s Howard University has become the latest educational institution to be attacked by a ransomware attack. The university’s Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) came across an unusual activity on its server and immediately shut it down to begin the investigation. Carly Page, in her article for ‘Yahoo Finance,’ shares detailed information about the Howard University ransomware attack.
Data for 9,500 Students at Risk
A type of malicious software, ransomware threatens the victim organization by obstructing access to particular data or set of computer systems. The hackers demand a ransom in return for giving back access to the organization.
The ransomware attack on Howard University came to light on September 3, weeks after the return of students to campus. In their statement, university administrators mentioned that the hackers were yet to be identified. Additionally, there is no sign yet indicating that the data for 9,500 students was accessed or exfiltrated. The university has been working relentlessly to clarify the situation to understand what happened and how badly the university has been affected.
Campus Wi-Fi Shutdown
The university has decided to activate its IT team to thoroughly investigate the situation. To do so, it has canceled Tuesday’s classes, opening its campus to employees only. Furthermore, campus Wi-Fi has also been shut down for an indefinite period. However, cloud-based software will be accessible for students and the university’s employees.
Howard administrators have further said that they are in touch with the FBI and DC government to resolve the issue as soon as possible. The university is planning to introduce new comprehensive safety measures to further protect its information and data integrity from any future criminal assault.
Click on the link to read the full article:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/howard-university-cancels-classes-ransomware-154744009.html
