The campus of the University of Technology (TU/e) is unusually quiet on opMonday following a cyber attack last weekend. The TU/e was forced to shut down all of its networks, preventing classes from being held until further notice.
The zebra crossing between Eindhoven CS station and the university campus is usually used by hordes of students. This morning, only a few are crossing. Even further out on the campus, the number of people walking around can be counted on one hand. The barrier is open and inviting – but that is also a consequence of the cyber attack. The mechanism that raises and lowers it has temporarily stopped working.
Black
A poster explains the special circumstances in English. At the moment TU/e has been hit by a cyber attack. All systems and network connections are down. The screens of all computers are black. The lecture rooms are empty. A student tries to connect to the wifi in the Atlas building, but gets an error message.
However, a group of students have gathered in the library. They can work on their common project thanks to a study portal that is still online. With a laptop and mobile data on their phones. But we can’t hand in our work now,’ says a boy behind a desk. A lot of work will have to be postponed.
You can still buy a sandwich in the canteen. The staff have installed pin machines that use mobile data. Gratefully, someone charges for a coffee and a sandwich. When asked, a teacher walking the corridors explains that he has come to the campus for a physical meeting. He was to consult with a company about collaborating with the university. But nothing will come of his other projects today. The milling machine and lathes are not working either. They are connected to the servers.
Exciting
Even though no data has been leaked, according to the university administration, many staff and students still find the attack on the educational institution very worrying. Is this an attempt by cybercriminals to extort money? Or could it be part of Russia’s ‘hybrid warfare’, bombarding us not with weapons but with this kind of attack? As exciting as it sounds, there is no open speculation about the motive of the attack. Most passers-by on campus declined to comment, referring questions to the official TU/e spokesperson.
Source : Studio040.nl
Translated by: Anitha Sevugan