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U. Michigan restores campus internet after cyberattack disrupts first week of classes

The University of Michigan announced it's restored internet to its three campuses after a cyberattack over the weekend.
University of Michigan campus sign
(Getty Images)

University of Michigan announced Wednesday that it has restored internet to its three campuses after a cyberattack over the weekend, but warned to “expect some issues with select U-M systems and services in the short term.”

Ravi Pendse, the university’s chief information officer, wrote in a notice on the university system’s website that he expects remediation efforts to be resolved “over the next several days.”

“In true Wolverine fashion, faculty, staff and students rose to the occasion and met the challenge to ensure continuity of our mission,” he wrote.

University leaders opted to shut down internet access and many of its online services after detecting a “significant security concern” on Sunday, just ahead of the fall semester’s first week of classes. The university also noted that it was working with cybersecurity consultants and federal law enforcement agencies.

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“We made the intentional decision to sever our ties to the internet,” the university announced on Sunday. “We recognize that cutting off online services to our campus community on the eve of a new academic year is stressful and a major inconvenience.”

This week’s incident follows a similar disruption earlier this year when the university was one of many organizations worldwide to be disrupted by a data breach of the popular file-transfer application MOVEit.

Colin Wood

Written by Colin Wood

Colin Wood is the editor in chief of StateScoop and EdScoop. He’s reported on government information technology policy for more than a decade, on topics including cybersecurity, IT governance and public safety.

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