Colleges in Tennessee and Georgia face cyberattacks during final exams and graduation ceremonies. Chattanooga State Community College in Tennessee has been dealing with a cyberattack since Saturday, leading to the cancellation of classes and modifications to staff schedules.
Mercer University in Georgia also experienced a cybersecurity incident, where hackers gained access to sensitive information of students, parents, and employees. The colleges are working with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to investigate and mitigate the attacks.
Chattanooga State Community College intentionally shut down its systems to investigate the cyber incident, which disrupted various student services, including IDs, parking passes, financial aid, registration, and more.
The school’s National Signing Day event was canceled, and refunds or class delays were offered. Mercer University reported unauthorized access to its computer network, resulting in the removal of Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers, although no evidence of personal financial information being taken was found.
The incident has been linked to a ransomware gang named Akira, which has targeted multiple organizations demanding ransoms.
Ransomware attacks on colleges and universities have been on the rise, with at least 35 reported incidents in 2023. The recent cyberattacks during the school year’s end highlight the vulnerability of educational institutions to such threats.
The affected colleges are cooperating with authorities and taking measures to protect their systems and sensitive data while emphasizing the importance of resilience and community support during challenging times.
