EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan University is providing an update in regards to its ongoing investigation into "an isolated technology-based intrusion that compromised files within one of the university's units on campus," according to a news release from the university.
The university said the intrusion is believed to have happened on Memorial Day.
The university said within hours, IT staff were notified and took action to prevent further exposure, including taking the impacted servers and workstations offline and notifying law enforcement.
The intrusion was limited to the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the university said, and with the help of law enforcement, the university is currently working to identify information that was compromised.
The university said it will notify those who may be impacted by the hack as soon as they are identified.
“First and foremost, our priority is determining what information was compromised and then working with anyone who may have been affected to provide them with the appropriate support,” MSU Chief Information Officer Melissa Woo said. “The safety and security of our IT systems and the people who use them are of paramount importance to MSU. It is why MSU continues to work diligently to strengthen and improve our information security systems and share best practices with our campus community.”
MSU said the intruders have demanded ransom in exchange for not releasing the stolen information, the university said it is following the guidance of its law enforcement partners and will not be paying ransom.
MSU IT said to do the following in order to protect yourself while working online:
• Be aware of the possibility of phishing emails
• Create effective passwords
• Use two-factor password authentication on devices and accounts whenever possible;
• Delete files and data when you are done using them
• Apply patches and updates to system as they become available
Want to see more local news ? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Appleand Android
and
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
