Vanderburg University Systems Partially Offline

Davidson County residents connected to Vanderbilt University face a restricted digital environment following an active ransomware attack. While campus Wi-Fi returned online late Monday evening, access to most university systems and applications remains limited. The disruption affects students, faculty, and staff who rely on these tools for daily work and study.

A ransomware group known as BYOB claims responsibility for the breach. The group states it holds over one million Social Security numbers, full names, and email addresses from the university network. On its website, the group posted a message saying the databases are locked and urging the university to establish communication through their contact tab.

Vanderbilt’s Information Technology department announced the incident on Thursday morning. Officials directed students and faculty to shut down university devices and disable their Wi-Fi connections. The university noted that cloud-based services may also be impacted by the intrusion. Julia Jordan, a university spokesperson, confirmed that classes are expected to continue as normal despite the technical challenges.

Students received immediate instructions to disconnect from the network. Aminat Rosenje, a junior from Chicago, described an IT representative entering her classroom to tell students to stop using Wi-Fi and avoid opening emails or clicking links. Rosenje has since relied on a personal hotspot to access the internet. Some faculty members cancelled classes on Tuesday, according to the student-led newspaper The Vanderbilt Hustler.

The IT team advised the community to report specific signs of compromise. These include unusual password requests, files moving randomly, unfamiliar messages, and unexpected pop-ups. One student reported receiving a laptop message stating the attackers had their data and warned them not to fight the breach. The note added that the group had researched the victim and suggested reaching out to make a decision off the grid.

Vanderburg officials instructed users to contact the IT service desk using a separate device or telephone rather than troubleshooting issues themselves. The university stated it is working with government agencies to manage the incident. On Tuesday, November 10, the university operates on a normal schedule, and students are directed to contact instructors for guidance on coursework deadlines.