Vanderbilt urges campus to shut down computers amid cyberattack
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Students walk across the Vanderbilt University campus in Nashville, Tenn. Photo: William DeShazer/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Vanderbilt University is urging students and employees to shut down university computers and devices as it investigates an ongoing cybersecurity attack, the university said.
The big picture: The incident highlights the vulnerability of universities, which store sensitive student and employee information and rely on sprawling computer networks.
Driving the news: Vanderbilt said its IT team is "actively investigating and working to contain the situation." Classes are proceeding as normal, Julia Jordan, assistant director of media relations, tells Axios.
- "We are asking all members of the university community to shut down university devices, disconnect from university WiFi, and remain extremely vigilant," the school said.
- "Take immediate action if you notice any unusual or suspicious activity on your devices."
- Vanderbilt Health, which operates separately from the university, told employees not to access university IT systems until further notice. It said its own systems have not been affected and patient care is continuing normally.
Context: The ransomware group BYOD has claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging it stole information such as university data, Social Security numbers, email addresses and full names.
- The university has not confirmed the group's involvement or whether any information was compromised.
- The group previously claimed responsibility for cyber attacks at Michigan State University and the University of New Mexico Health System.
Zoom in: Vanderbilt said suspicious activity includes unexpected pop-ups and warnings on devices, as well as unusual changes to files, folders or permissions on cloud storage platforms, like OneDrive.
- Other warning signs include files being unexpectedly moved, deleted or modified, or unfamiliar apps and messages appearing on devices.
- Nashville Scene reports that one person was unable to access research saved on university systems.
What they're saying: As the university investigates, the school is urging people not to click any links or pop-ups that appear unfamiliar.
- "DO NOT attempt to investigate, troubleshoot, or resolve the issue yourself," Vanderbilt said. "SHUT DOWN YOUR DEVICE IMMEDIATELY to help prevent potential further security risks."
