DENVER, Colorado — Regis University in Denver has shut down its computer, phone and email systems because of a “malicious” cyberattack that it says probably came from outside the United States.
The Denver Post reports the private Catholic school disconnected its networks Thursday and set up another website to keep students and faculty informed.
“Immediately upon discovering this issue, we quickly and intentionally took our information technology systems offline in an effort to protect the university and your information while we initiated an investigation and notified law enforcement,” Regis said in a statement on Friday. “We are unfortunately only the latest entity to face this kind of incident.”
University officials declined to say whether it was a ransomware attack. They said they’re still investigating.
“At Regis, IT security is a top priority and one we do not take lightly,” the statement said. “We are working prudently and urgently to restore email, phone and other vital technology as soon as possible. It will be restored in stages in a systematic, careful manner.”
The shutdown came as the summer session was ending and the fall semester was starting.
“I regret the inconvenience this has caused, especially at this particular time. I appreciate your continued support during this frustrating time. This will not deter us from celebrating our new and returning Rangers as we start the new academic year. Please know our students continue to be our top priority,” said Jesuit Father John P. Fitzgibbons, the president of the school.
More than 20 local governments in Texas were targeted in a coordinated ransomware attack on Aug. 16.
The Texas Department of Information Resources said it believes a single source was behind all the attacks. It didn’t name the affected cities or provide details about the attacker’s demands.
Crux staff contributed to this report.
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