Cyberattack on SETU Waterford Campus

 A short technical overview

On November 1, 2024, South East Technological University's (SETU) Waterford campus experienced a significant cyberattack that disrupted its IT infrastructure. This incident led to the cancellation of Monday's classes and left the campus without internet access, internal emails, and other online facilities.

The cyberattack seemed to be identified at an early stage, which should allow the IT teams to act in a manner to safeguard the systems against further intrustion and compromise. Immediate measures tqaken seemed to include shutting down affected systems to prevent the attack from spreading laterally across the network². The National Cyber Security Centre is also collaborating with SETU to investigate and mitigate the impact of the breach².

The attack primarily affected the Waterford campus, with evidence suggesting data compromise not currently established¹. However, the disruption has been significant, impacting the ability of staff and students to access essential online resources. The university has advised staff to prepare for offline teaching methods sgould the issue persist¹,³.

Key steps in restoring service would include:-

 

• Containment: Ensuring the attack does not spread to other campuses, such as Carlow².
• Assessment: Evaluating the extent of the damage and identifying the source of the attack.
• Restoration: Gradually bringing systems back online once they are deemed secure.

This incident underscores the requirement fo robust cybersecurity measures and rapid response protocols in educational institutions. 

References
(1) SETU Waterford campuses hit by cyberattack - RTÉ. https://www.rte.ie/news/education/2024/1101/1478655-waterford-hack/.
(2) SETU cybersecurity breach must be fixed before it spreads. https://www.newstalk.com/news/setu-cybersecurity-breach-must-be-fixed-before-it-spreads-1779768.
(3) Classes at SETU Waterford cancelled on Monday following major cyberattack. https://www.thejournal.ie/setu-classes-cancelled-after-cyberattack-6530411-Nov2024/.
(4) SETU's Waterford campus hit by significant cyberattack. https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/setus-waterford-campus-has-been-hit-by-a-significant-cyberattack-1690277.html.
(5) Cyberattack on Waterford's South East Technological University campuses. https://www.newstalk.com/news/cyberattack-on-waterfords-south-east-technological-university-campuses-1779589.

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