Central Piedmont Community College

Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) is a community college located in the United States, providing educational services to its student population. The institution delivers academic programs and related services, relying on digital platforms including a learning management system for course delivery and instruction. Administrative and academic operations are supported by core IT infrastructure such as email and telephony systems. As a higher education institution, it serves its local community with a range of educational offerings, maintaining a public-facing website for general information and updates.

In February 2021, CPCC experienced a significant ransomware attack that compromised its critical IT infrastructure. The college implemented immediate precautionary measures, taking phones, email, and learning management platforms offline while keeping its website operational to disseminate information. Recovery timelines were uncertain, though the presence of backups was expected to support restoration efforts. The institution collaborated with state and federal agencies to assess the scope of the intrusion and guide the recovery process, with no evidence found that personal data had been compromised. Communication with students, staff, and other stakeholders continued through alternative channels including text messaging, social media, and the college website as work progressed to reinstate all impacted academic and administrative systems. This incident highlighted the college's operational dependence on interconnected digital systems and its established protocols for responding to major cybersecurity events through coordinated internal and external efforts.