"Ransomware Attackers Target US Colleges and Universities"

Colleges and universities in the US are on high alert because of cyberattacks. In March 2021, the FBI issued a warning for higher education on the increase in ransomware targeting education institutions. Despite efforts made by universities to combat attacks, several students fell victim to BlackCat, also known as the ALPHV group. The ransomware gang BlackCat claimed responsibility for a ransomware attack during spring break at North Carolina A&T State University, which disrupted apps and systems used for instruction and operation. Wireless platforms for online classes, Single Sign-On (SSO) websites, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and Chrome River were disrupted by the attack. According to the A&T Register, students reported that classes were canceled or moved online. BlackCat also claimed responsibility for a ransomware attack against Florida International University that compromised 1.2TB of data. The gang claimed the attack involved personal information from students, teachers, and staff, as well as contracts, accounting documents, SSNs, and email databases. The FBI suggested that colleges and universities follow best practices, including backing up all data with password-protected copies offline, using multifactor authentication (MFA) for all users accessing the network, disabling hyperlinks in all emails sent through the network, and more. This article continues to discuss the rise of ransomware attacks on higher education institutions and the FBI's suggestions for preventing and reducing the impact of such attacks.

Security Intelligence reports "Ransomware Attackers Target US Colleges and Universities"