Lincoln College

Lincoln College operated as a higher education institution offering undergraduate programs to students primarily in the United States. It served a predominantly Black student body, with enrollment reported at approximately 630 students at the time of the 2021 incident. The college had been in operation for 157 years before ceasing activities permanently. Its headquarters were located in the United States, though the specific city or state is not detailed in the source material. As a college, its core mission was to provide academic instruction and award degrees to its enrolled learners.

Lincoln College distinguished itself as a historically Black institution, reflecting a specific commitment to serving African American learners within the U.S. higher education landscape. The ransomware attack of December 2, 2021, which locked critical data and produced extortion notes on printers, highlighted vulnerabilities in its information technology infrastructure during a period of financial strain. This cyber incident exacerbated existing financial challenges and was cited as a contributing factor to the decision to shut down the college after more than a century and a half of operation. The event is noted as one of the first documented cases where a ransomware attack directly influenced the closure of an educational organization. No further details regarding ownership, parent entities, or subsidiary relationships are provided in the available source.