Chattanooga State Community College

Chattanooga State Community College is a public institution of higher education located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, operating under the Tennessee Board of Regents system. The college provides associate degree programs, certificate courses, and workforce development training, serving students from the Chattanooga region and surrounding areas. Its academic offerings include transfer programs designed for students pursuing bachelor's degrees, as well as career-focused tracks in fields such as technology, health sciences, and business. Student services encompass academic advising, financial aid administration, registration, and payment processing, all central to its educational mission. The college functions as a key access point for post-secondary education and vocational skills training in its local market.

In May 2023, the college suffered a significant external cyberattack that forced the shutdown of multiple critical systems. The incident directly disrupted core student services including academic advising, financial aid, registration, and payments, which led to the cancellation of classes and schedule modifications. The breach resulted in the compromise of personal information, including Social Security numbers, for more than 1,200 individuals. In response, college leadership engaged law enforcement agencies and retained a forensic vendor to investigate the scope and origin of the attack. Affected individuals were provided with credit monitoring services to mitigate potential harm from the data exposure. The event highlighted the institution's vulnerability to sophisticated cyber threats and its reliance on digital infrastructure for essential academic and administrative operations. Recovery efforts focused on system restoration and reinforcing cybersecurity protocols following the forensic investigation.