Ransomware Attack Puts Vanderbilt on Lockdown

Vanderbilt University has warned all faculty, staff and students to stay off the school’s network as it tries to contain a digital attack.

A broad announcement to shut down university devices and disconnect from university Wi-Fi went out on Monday morning as malicious software began spreading through computers, files and digital infrastructure. The incident follows similar hacks at universities across the country.

“We are currently responding to an active cybersecurity incident that may impact university devices, systems, and cloud-based services,” reads an announcement on Vanderbilt’s social media. “Our Information Technology team is actively investigating and working to contain the situation. We are asking all members of the university community to shut down university devices, disconnect from university WiFi, and remain extremely vigilant. Take immediate action if you notice any unusual or suspicious activity on your devices.”

Several faculty members, students and staff confirmed to the Scene that they began experiencing tech problems immediately after logging into Vanderbilt devices on Monday morning. One reported an unexpected update that appeared to be from Vanderbilt IT that rewrote files into a “.byod” format, a strategy that has been used in ransomware attacks reported at a New Mexico hospital and Michigan State University in the past two weeks. Another individual tells the Scene he is now unable to access research he had saved on university systems and will rely on copies backed up to his personal device.

A website that tracks cyberattacks listed Vanderbilt as the victim of an active attack from the same “BYOD” group that has hacked a reported 17 targets since September. The same database says hackers have obtained extensive personal information, including student records and more than 1 million Social Security numbers, from Vanderbilt. 

Vanderbilt confirmed the attack around 11 a.m. The scale and scope appear so widespread that tech professionals publicly advise any Vanderbilt users to shut down devices immediately and avoid any aspect of the network at all.