Clackamas Community College

Summary

Clackamas Community College experienced a cyberattack that disrupted campus operations, prompting the cancellation of classes and isolation of certain internal systems upon detection. The institution is collaborating with law enforcement and conducting an ongoing investigation to determine potential unauthorized access to personal information. Online services remain offline, limiting student access to digital resources, IDs, and financial systems, though in-person support and emergency assistance are available at campus locations. Employees have alternative contact methods for facility and safety services while restoration efforts prioritize academic functions. Library services operate with partial functionality, including physical textbook access and limited digital resources.

Motives

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TTPs

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Description

Clackamas Community College first detected suspicious activity on its internal systems on January 19, 2024, prompting immediate containment measures including network isolation and activation of its incident response protocols. The institution canceled all classes for January 22-23 due to operational disruptions stemming from the cyberattack, while initiating a collaborative investigation with law enforcement agencies. College officials publicly acknowledged the incident through social media and dedicated FAQ pages, confirming the investigation remained ongoing with no definitive conclusions regarding potential unauthorized access to personal information. Information technology teams prioritized restoring critical online services, though no specific timeline for full recovery was provided to students or staff.

The cyberattack significantly disrupted academic and administrative functions, forcing the college to extend withdrawal deadlines without penalty and suspend student ID issuance indefinitely. Limited in-person student services resumed at all three campuses between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., while emergency financial aid, food pantries, and healthcare services maintained modified operating hours. Library services operated with partial functionality—physical textbooks remained accessible through course reserves, but computers and printers were inoperable as of January 22. Campus Services implemented triaged response protocols for facility requests, prioritizing emergency repairs and academic needs through designated phone contacts. College Safety remained reachable for security concerns, though voicemail systems and certain exterior door mechanisms experienced outages. Restoration efforts continued with incremental progress, including the planned reopening of library online catalog services by January 23.

Sources

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