Tag Archive for: howard

Howard University Gradually Bounces Back from Ransomware Attack


Howard University (HU) resumed online and in-person instruction in the third week of September after a ransomware cyberattack brought most activity to a halt for several days.

For the time being, students, faculty and staff have access to some of the university’s most common applications.  

As administrators explained on Sept. 12, recovery will happen in phases and in a manner that ensures continuity of operations. 

In the aftermath of service disruptions and the compromise of important data, some students, like Kaya Freeman, relished the gradual return to normalcy. 

“Some people clicked a link and gave their passwords to the hackers,” said Freeman, a freshman from West Bloomfield, Mich. 

“It’s been hard in terms of watching television, using your computer and writing papers.  Teachers postponed deadlines because you can’t go online unless you have a hotspot. It’s affecting our schoolwork but you do what you can on campus.” 

A Growing Threat 

In ransomware attacks, hackers use phishing emails to steal user credentials and access to IT networks.

They then block institutions’ access to networks and leverage stolen information to demand their target pays a hefty sum. Over the last couple of years, tactics have included threats to sell stolen information on the darkweb if demands aren’t met. 

In 2020, the average ransom demand totaled more than $312,000, a report by Unit 42/Palo Alto Networks determined. 

Since its detection of unusual activity on Sept. 3, HU has collaborated with external forensic experts and law enforcement officials to fully investigate the cause of the ransomware attack and its impact. 

HU told The Informer that its response team, composed of in-person and remote personnel, has used its resources to add new secure systems. 

Such tools build upon security updates the university has implemented over the years with the aid of what officials described as expert cybersecurity partners. 

Over the last few days, much of HU’s focus has been on protecting data and strengthening its network, all while keeping HU community members abreast of the ongoing situation.  

“Faculty, staff, and students should soon expect audits…

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Howard University Closed After Ransomware Attack


Howard University Closed After Ransomware Attack

By Breoona Randall, Howard University News Service

Howard University, one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious historically black universities and the alma mater of Vice President Kamala Harris, was shut down Tuesday due to a ransomware attack.

The FBI and District of Columbia city government have been working with the university about the attack, the university said. The university did not mention who conducted the attack or what they are asking for to release the university’s networks.

University officials said Howard’s Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) became aware Friday of a potential cyberattack. In response, ETS shutdown all the university’s networks to further investigate.

On Monday, the university said, the computer and technology interruption was a ransomware attack. Consequently, all in-person and online classes were cancelled Tuesday, Howard’s Office of University Communications said.

“ETS and its partners have been working diligently to fully address this incident and restore operations as quickly as possible,” the Office of University Communications said in an email Monday.

The university will reopen Wednesday, but only in-person. Howard University’s wi-fi, however, will still be unavailable.

Ingrid Sturgis, chair of the Department of Media, Journalism and Film in Howard’s Cathy Hughes School of Communications, said the ransomware attack “has been very disruptive.”

“Over the weekend, I had some faculty members emailing me about what they should do, because their students could not turn in their work, because they did not have access to blackboard and other tools they usually use for class,” Sturgis said.

She said she’s been through several malfunctions at the university, but this one is different.

“It’s kind of scary to me knowing how many student and faculty records there are, and these kinds of attacks are happening more and more frequently,” she said. “In a way, we are fortunate the university has beefed up its ability to detect these kinds of things.

Jennifer C. Thomas, an associate professor and journalism sequence coordinator in the…

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Why you should never use airport USB charging stations – Clark.com – Clark Howard

Why you should never use airport USB charging stations  Clark.com – Clark Howard

One of the riskiest places to charge your phone is in an airport. Here’s how to keep your device safe when you need to add more juice in public.

“Don’t Plug Your Phone into a Charger You Don’t Own” – read more

Taking a moment to thank the Internet, Google and Howard Johnson’s

Oh, sure, we take this stuff for granted today (except for Howard Johnson’s). Yet every now and then I feel a need to thank the Internet and Google for doing what they do best: finding answers to questions that would otherwise nag me no end.

This morning I read a story about the impending closure of the Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Lake Placid, N.Y. As the story noted, this iconic eatery, owned and operated by the same family for more than 50 years, is one of only three HoJo’s restaurants still in operation in the United States.

Where are the other two?

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Network World Paul McNamara