Washington Adventist University Confirms Ongoing Ransomware Attack

Another Maryland institution has been hit with a ransomware attack.

Washington Adventist University, a private four-year college in Takoma Park, confirmed an ongoing ransomware attack Sunday.

The attack has restricted access to several pieces of technology on campus, ranging from campus intranet services to digital signage around the property.

In a statement, the school confirmed that the ransomware attack was first discovered after 11 p.m. on Saturday by its technology services department.

School officials have since said that Wi-Fi and internet access will not be available to students on campus until further notice.

“There is a balance that has to be reached between access and security,” the school wrote. “The timeline therefore may be incremental rather than an overnight solution.”

Despite the attack, the school will remain open for in-person instruction and will continue to hold virtual courses through Zoom. Access to services outside of the university intranet like campus email and Zoom also remain unaffected.

The school is currently working with the Montgomery County Cyber Taskforce and the FBI to resolve the situation. A spokesperson did not tell WTOP the requested ransom amount or what data may have been accessed.

As part of Maryland Matters’ content sharing agreement with WTOP, we feature this article from Ivy Lyons. Click here for the WTOP News website.

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