Howard University Attacked with Ransomware, Classes Canceled. n this photo, graduate students cheers as the President Barack Obama delivers Howard University's commencement speech during the 2016 Howard University graduation ceremony in Washington, Saturday, May 7, 2016. In a commencement speech at one of the nation's leading historically black schools, Obama said there were no black CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and few black judges when Columbia University awarded him a bachelor's degree in 1983. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Renowned HBCU Howard University was the victim of a ransomware attack Tuesday and has been forced to cancel classes Tuesday as a result.
The Washington D.C.-based school made the announcement Monday, Sept. 6, that it was the target of a ransomware cyberattack on Friday, Sept. 3.
“The Howard University information technology team detected unusual activity on the University’s network. In accordance with our cyber response protocol, and to mitigate potential criminal activity, Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) intentionally shut down the University’s network to investigate the situation,” a press release from the school said.
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Howard, which began its Fall semester classes on Aug. 23, said it made the decision to cancel classes “in order to give our IT team more time to address the issue.” Only essential employees were allowed on campus.
According to the release, Howard “has contacted law enforcement and is working with forensic experts on the issue. They claim there is “no evidence of personal information being accessed or exfiltrated” but noted that the investigation is ongoing.”
This is a developing story.
