There are new developments on the cybersecurity attack that has crippled internet services at Bluefield University. We’ve learned through “RamAlert” texts sent to students, faculty and staff that the cyber attackers are now directly communicating with everyone on the alert system. They have identified themselves as “AvosLocker” and are demanding payment in return for not leaking students’ private information. The FBI considers AvosLocker to be ransomware. In March 2022, they released an advisory on it. They said avoslocker has “Targeted victims across multiple critical infrastructure sectors in the U.S. Including…The financial services, critical manufacturing, and government facilities sectors.”
Stanford University disclosed a data breach after files containing Economics Ph.D. program admission information were downloaded from its website between December 2022 and January 2023.
The University of Zurich is currently the target of a serious cyberattack. The perpetrators appear to be acting in a very professional manner and are part of a current accumulation of attacks on educational and health institutions. Several attacks have been carried out on universities in German-speaking countries in recent weeks, resulting in suspension of their IT services for extended periods of time. The attacks are usually carried out by compromising several individual accounts and systems.
Maastricht University has doubled its money thanks to a ransomware attack three years ago. The university plans to help struggling students with its new funds.
Research is largely theoretical but exposes an overlooked security issue.
