Kamso Oguejiofor-Abugu
Published on: March 29, 2023

Following a potential cybersecurity breach, the University of New Orleans (UNO) has said that it has successfully negated the threat to its network and is working to restore services with assistance from the state’s cybersecurity experts.

The university announced the campus-wide internet shutdown on Friday, affecting four other colleges in Louisiana, including Southern University at Shreveport, River Parishes Community College, LSU Agricultural Center, and Nunez Community College.

According to a post on UNO’s official website, some of the university’s services are expected to be operational this week — this includes the UNO Guest WiFi, Zoom, campus email, and Moodle. Meanwhile, other tools such as the secure campus Wi-Fi, internet, Workday, and PeopleSoft are yet to be restored.

Law enforcement, including Louisiana State Police and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, continues to investigate the matter. In response to the ongoing investigation, UNO is taking action to find out if any data was exposed. If personal data was involved, affected individuals will be informed and provided with “restorative and protective resources available at no charge.”

Students and staff have expressed frustration over the lack of answers and are raising concerns about the possible compromise of financial and other personal information. Similar incidents have occurred at other Louisiana schools, with Southeastern University experiencing a three-week network shutdown and Xavier University of New Orleans witnessing the theft of personal information.

As the investigation progresses, faculty and students are adapting to the situation, with some instructors providing alternative contact information and accepting paper submissions in place of digital uploads to Moodle. UNO urges patience as they work to resolve the matter and restore normal operations.

“We recognize that this has been an inconvenience for our entire campus community,” the university said in a release. “We appreciate your patience and will keep you posted as we reach new milestones.”

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• Source: https://www.safetydetectives.com/news/u-of-new-orleans-restores-limited-services-after-cybersecurity-attack/