On April 29, 2022, Kellogg Community College (KCC) suffered a ransomware attack that effectively closed all five of the school’s campuses for multiple days.

KCC began experiencing technological issues on April 29, which an investigation determined was due to a ransomware attack targeting the college’s online services and systems. The administration canceled classes until May 4, disrupting the educations of its nearly 7,000 students. KCC was also forced to hire a third-party security team to assess and resolve the problems. KCC officials did not disclose any information about the group that executed the ransomware attack, and it is unclear if any personal data was compromised.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about a targeted cyber attack on a higher education institution. Such attacks disrupt classes and campus life and threaten the personal security and information of students, scholars, and staff. Federal, state, and university authorities should take reasonable steps to respond to and prevent such attacks, including by investigating and holding perpetrators accountable. In addition to the harm to the targets, such threats undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2022/05/03/ransomware-attack-closes-kellogg-community-college?
https://daily.kellogg.edu/2022/05/02/classes-canceled-and-campus-to-remain-closed-tuesday-for-students-full-time-staff-to-report-at-10-a-m/
https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/news/2022/05/02/ransomware-attack-forces-kcc-cancel-classes-indefinitely/9612941002/
https://therecord.media/kellogg-community-college-ransomware-michigan/