Cyber Incident Victim: Baton Rouge Community College
Date:
Dec 2019
Location:
United States of America
Summary
Baton Rouge Community College experienced a ransomware attack that disrupted its servers, prompting an investigation by state law enforcement. The institution did not pay the ransom and reported no confirmed data loss, though some computers were compromised. Operational impacts included temporary email access workarounds, manual processing of student grades, and enrollment adjustments handled offline. Despite the disruption, commencement ceremonies proceeded as scheduled. Oversight authorities confirmed that personal data remained secure in a separate system unaffected by the incident. Network restoration efforts were underway with technology support teams assisting recovery.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 0 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On December 12, 2019, Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) experienced a ransomware attack that disrupted its computer systems two days prior to scheduled commencement ceremonies. The incident occurred during a period when most of the college's 8,500 students were not on campus, coinciding with the end of the academic term. BRCC administrators shut down affected servers and contacted the Louisiana State Police Cyber Crime Unit, which immediately responded to collect network evidence and confirmed both a cyber-intrusion and ransomware deployment. Interim Chancellor Willie Smith notified campus personnel via memo that the college refused to pay the unspecified ransom demand. The Office of Technology Services collaborated with BRCC staff to contain the incident and restore network operations, though the investigation remained ongoing at the time of reporting. While Smith stated the institution was "not aware of any data loss," several individual computers sustained impacts requiring remediation.
The attack necessitated significant operational adjustments during final examination week. Faculty and staff manually recorded student grades for the semester since automated systems were inaccessible, while upcoming term enrollments—mostly completed before the incident—transitioned to manual processing until network restoration. Students maintained email access through a temporary workaround solution. BRCC spokesperson Kizzy Payton confirmed commencement ceremonies proceeded uninterrupted in the college gymnasium on December 13. Quintin Taylor of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), which oversees BRCC, clarified that personally identifiable information for students, staff, and faculty resided in separate LCTCS-managed systems unaffected by the breach. IT personnel planned to provide additional updates regarding cybersecurity measures and individual computer restoration as recovery efforts continued.