Driving the news: Vanderbilt said its IT team was “actively investigating and working to contain the situation.” Classes are proceeding as normal, Julia Jordan, associate director of media relations, told Axios.
- “We ask all members of the University community to turn off 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, has asked its employees not to access the university’s computer systems until further notice. It said its own systems had not been affected and patient care was continuing as normal.
Context: The BYOD ransomware group claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging that it stole information such as university data, social security numbers, email addresses and full names.
Zoom: 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 moved, deleted or changed unexpectedly, or unknown apps and messages appearing on devices.
- Nashville Scene reports that someone was unable to access saved searches on university systems.
What they say: As the university investigates, the school urges people not to click on links or pop-ups that appear unfamiliar.
- “Do NOT attempt to investigate, troubleshoot or resolve the problem yourself,” Vanderbilt said. “TURN YOUR DEVICE IMMEDIATELY to avoid possible additional safety risks.”
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