Mount Saint Mary College confirms ransomware attack in December

Mount Saint Mary College, a liberal arts college in New York with about 2,500 current undergrad and postgrad students, confirmed it experienced a ransomware attack in December.

The disclosure came after the Vice Society ransomware gang, known for dozens of attacks on K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, publicly shared details about the incident last week in a post on its leak site that cybersecurity expert Dominic Alvieri first highlighted.

The group claimed to have attacked the school and was able to access and disable some of the school’s systems. The school official said it detected and stopped the cyberattack on December 20 by disconnecting the affected part of its network before hiring cybersecurity specialists to help with the response.

The college also notified law enforcement, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The college received a ransom demand but did not comply following recommendations from the FBI.

Mount teams worked round-the-clock after the incident to improve the college’s network security. To minimize disruptions to regular operations, these teams rebuilt the affected systems and tightened security measures on campus, according to school officials.

The school is in touch with cybersecurity professionals and law enforcement authorities because it expects the attack’s perpetrators to release the stolen data. It is currently collaborating with experts to assess the findings and take the appropriate next steps.

The school has notified those affected that their personal information may have been compromised, which includes anyone who has attended or worked at the college in the last ten years. Those affected were offered free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services for an unspecified period. The school has also established a call center for those who require additional information.