Northwest Arkansas Community College hit by ransomware cyberattack
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Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) is reporting a ransomwarr cyberattack that has rendered its computer systems offline for three consecutive days as of Thursday 1st of August 2024. NWACC is the largest two-year college in Arkansas, with an enrollment of 7,709 students for the 2024 spring semester.
The cyberattack has severely disrupted NWACC’s operations, particularly affecting online students who are unable to access the learning management system. Both the Washington County campus in Springdale and the Brightwater culinary division in Bentonville are affected by the shutdown as they operate on the same system.
The campus remains safe and open, with staff on hand to assist students. The college's website, phone lines, and text line remain operational, allowing students to apply, register, and seek financial aid.
Multiple staff members received a notification on the school's public network printers demanding money for access to school data. No payment has been made, and no specific ransom amount was disclosed. The College claims that all student and staff information stored in the cloud remains safe. The FBI's Little Rock bureau is investigating the incident.
No other details are disclosed about breached data or impacted individuals.
Update - as of february 27, 2025, NWACC disclosed that their investigation confirmed an unauthorized user gained access to their systems and may have copied files containing personal information of certain individuals. The college has determined that student information was potentially compromised in the incident.
The number of affected individuals is still not disclosed.
The college has sent notification letters to affected individuals, offering one year of free identity theft protection services and advising them to monitor their credit reports, bank accounts, and other financial statements for suspicious activity.
The institution has reassured staff, students, and the public that further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
