ATTLEBORO — Bristol Community College’s computer systems were hacked in a ‘ransomware’ incident, university officials confirm.
The university, which has a campus in Attleboro, said in a statement posted on its website on Friday that their computer network had been hacked in a “criminal cyberattack” and that “the incident involved ransomware encryption. I was there,” he said.
“We appreciate your patience and flexibility over the past week as we know this is a criminal cyberattack, an attempt by hackers to damage the university’s computer network,” the university said. says.
“The university has discovered a network disruption issue impacting on-site internet and network functionality, including student and employee email, teams, shared document sites, and information systems,” said a university official. increase.
“At this time, Bristol Community College has no forensic evidence that this incident led to unauthorized access or acquisition of personal information,” the university added.
Officials said the break-in occurred around December 23.
“The university will immediately launch an investigation in consultation with cybersecurity experts who regularly investigate and analyze incidents of this nature across the country to determine the extent of the breach to information on the network. I did,” said the university. “If, upon investigation, it is determined that personal information has been compromised, we will contact the individual directly for guidance and next steps.”
School officials are currently recommending that students and staff change their passwords and report any unusual activity.
A university official on Thursday would only say the university experienced a “cybersecurity incident.”
University officials are seeking help from information technology experts to resolve the issue, said Kevin Spirlet, a spokesman for the university.
Spirit Thursday did not elaborate or answer questions about whether the university’s system was hacked.
Winter classes are taking place, and the university said it is still moving forward with plans for the spring semester.
The university website states that email, AccessBCC, and some online services are temporarily unavailable.
University services, including enrollment centers, student accounts, financial aid, etc., are available by phone or walk-in during this period. However, the university added that services may be limited due to limited access to the university’s information systems.
“With the spring semester starting in just a few weeks, we understand that this will cause significant disruption to students, faculty and staff,” said a university official.
The university said it will continue to provide updates on the status and findings of the investigation on its website.
In the meantime, we encourage students, faculty, and staff to change all passwords, including bank account, credit card, and other financial institution passwords, with new “strong” passwords.
You should also review your statements to monitor suspicious activity and monitor your credit reports regularly to report any suspicious activity or unauthorized charges to your bank or financial institution.
Visit identitytheft.gov for more information on protecting your information and what steps to take if it’s compromised.
In 2021, there will be more than 4,100 publicly disclosed data breaches, exposing 22 billion records. Education and research institutions will be targeted by an average of 1,065 cyberattacks per week in 2021. That’s a 75% increase for him from 2020, Bristol officials said.
BCC’s main campus is located in Fall River, with satellite campuses in Taunton and New Bedford.
