Cyber Incident Victim: Lehigh Carbon Community College
Date:
Mar 2026
Location:
United States of America
Summary
A Pennsylvania community college suffered a data breachthat disrupted its network and telephone services, prompting the temporary closure of its main and satellite campuses. When in‑person instruction resumed, Wi‑Fi remained unavailable at most sites and landline phones were still offline, forcing students and staff to rely on cellular data and email for communication. The institution continued to offer advising, counseling and educational support while directing learners to check their course platforms for any online updates.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 0 motives | 0 techniques |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
A databreach earlier in March forced Lehigh Carbon Community College to close its campuses. The Allentown, Tamaqua and Airport sites were reopened on a Monday following the closure. Students returned to the main campus in Schnecksville on March 10. A college trustee who also serves on the Northern Lehigh School Board publicly identified the IT disruptions as the result of a data breach. Official communications from the college to faculty and students have not used the term “data breach” when describing the outages. The trustee’s statement contrasted with the college’s messaging, which avoided labeling the incident as a breach.
When the Schnecksville campus reopened, many services including Wi‑Fi remained down, according to faculty and students who spoke to The Morning Call. The college’s latest email to faculty and students stated that in‑person classes, meetings and college activities would resume at the satellite locations. The same email noted that Wi‑Fi was only available at the Schnecksville campus. Students at the other campuses were advised to plan to use their own cellular data for personal electronics. A similar request had been made previously for students returning to the Schnecksville campus, as noted in earlier email communications. Landline phone service remained unavailable, and the email instructed students to use email to contact faculty and staff. The message also said that all advising, counseling and educational support appointments would continue as scheduled. Students attending in‑person classes were told to check Canvas for any specific updates or online options provided by their instructors.