Technological University of Dublin

The Technological University of Dublin (TU Dublin), also known by its former name Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), is a higher education institution headquartered in Ireland. It operates multiple campuses, including in Tallaght and other locations. The university provides academic programs and utilizes digital learning platforms such as Moodle for educational delivery. Email and Microsoft Teams are employed for communication and collaboration among its community. As a technological university, it serves students and academic staff with infrastructure supporting teaching and research activities.

On April 1, 2021, TU Dublin suffered a ransomware attack that specifically targeted the ICT infrastructure at its Tallaght campus. The malicious encryption affected on-site systems and backups, rendering them inaccessible. Cloud-based services, including Moodle, email, and Microsoft Teams, continued to function but experienced occasional disruptions during the recovery process. The university responded by collaborating with external cybersecurity specialists and statutory authorities, including data protection agencies and law enforcement. This coordinated effort aimed to investigate the breach, restore services, and assess the impact. Recovery timelines were not immediately determined, and students were advised to avoid using campus ICT equipment during the incident. The attack was isolated to the Tallaght campus, with other university locations remaining unaffected.