In a recent and unsettling cyberattack, hackers targeted Bluefield University in Virginia, disrupting campus operations and hijacking the school’s emergency alert system. This incident serves as a wake-up call for students and faculty across the country: cyber threats are no longer just an IT issue—they affect everyone on campus.

What Happened?

During finals week, Bluefield University’s emergency notification system, RamAlert, was compromised by a ransomware group. Students and faculty received alarming messages via text and email, warning that personal data—including admissions records—would be leaked unless the university paid a ransom.

The attackers even encouraged recipients to pressure university leadership directly, turning a technical breach into a psychological tactic. The university responded by advising everyone to avoid using school email accounts and launched an investigation with cybersecurity experts.

Why It Matters to You

This isn’t an isolated case. Colleges and universities are increasingly being targeted because they store valuable personal data and often have complex, decentralized IT systems. Recent attacks have affected institutions like:

• University of Michigan – Data breach affecting over 230,000 individuals
• Stanford University – 430GB of sensitive data stolen
• Mount Saint Mary College – Student and faculty data leaked on the dark web
• New York University - Someone took control of the systems that direct web traffic to NYU’s website
• Columbia University - 860K records compromised

What You Can Do

Whether you're a student, faculty or staff member, you play a key role in protecting campus cybersecurity. Here are some simple but powerful steps you can take:

For Students:

• Use strong, unique passwords for school accounts.
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible.
• Be cautious with email links and attachments—phishing is a common entry point.
• Keep your devices updated with the latest security patches.

For Faculty and Staff:

• Secure research and academic data with encrypted storage.
• Avoid using personal devices for sensitive university work.
• Report suspicious activity to your IT department immediately: Report a Security Event.
• Incorporate cybersecurity awareness into classroom discussions when relevant.
• Report suspicious emails to: reportaphish@udel.edu

Campus-Wide Protection

University of Delaware’s IT team is working hard behind the scenes to strengthen defenses, but cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. By staying informed and vigilant, you help protect not just your own data—but the entire campus community.

Stay safe, stay smart, and let’s keep our campus secure.