The computer systems of Bristol Community College were hacked in a “ransomware” incident, college officials acknowledge.
The college, which has a campus in Attleboro, said in a statement posted Friday on its website their computer network was hacked by a “criminal cyberattack” and “this incident involved ransomware encryption.”
“We would like to thank you for your patience and flexibility over the past week as we navigate the impact of what we now know to be a criminal cyberattack, which is an attempt by hackers to damage the college’s computer network,” the college said.
“The college has discovered a network interruption issue impacting onsite internet and network functions including email, Teams, shared document sites and information systems, for students and employees,” college officials said.
“At this time, Bristol Community College has no forensic evidence that this incident resulted in the unauthorized access to, or acquisition of, personal information,” the college added.
The breach took place around Dec. 23, officials said.
“The college immediately launched an investigation, in consultation with cybersecurity professionals who regularly investigate and analyze these types of incidents around the country, to determine the extent of any compromise to the information on its network,” the college said. “In the event that the investigation determines that personal information was compromised, individuals will be contacted directly with guidance and next steps.”
In the meantime, students and staff are advised to change all passwords, including bank accounts, credit cards and other financial institutions, using “ strong” new passwords.
