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An Arkansas community college will delay the start of its fall semester by one week after it experienced a ransomware attack.
Most classes for Northwest Arkansas Community College will now start on Aug. 26 instead of the original start date of Aug. 19. (Health professions courses will begin Aug. 19.) The college found the ransomware threat on July 30, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, citing a release from the college. The college could not be reached for comment by Inside Higher Ed.
“We understand the frustration this has caused and appreciate our community’s patience as we continue through the restoration process,” the news release said. “Our students, staff, and campus community are a top priority. We remain committed to transparency and will provide updates as we learn more.”
The college’s website has a banner stating, “NWACC is currently experiencing a temporary network outage.” The NWACC Board of Trustees met Aug. 5 and decided to push back the kickoff of the fall semester, according to local outlet 5News. The college’s fall payment deadline was also extended.
This is not the first time ransomware attacks have impeded the start of students’ semesters: Last August, the University of Michigan halted its internet during the first week of classes to ward off a potential cyberattack.
Last year was a banner year for cyberattacks in the higher education sector, which has spawned a markedly larger effort from institutions to ward off attacks. An Inside Higher Ed survey last fall found that 82 percent of universities’ chief technology and chief information officers were “moderately,” “very” or “extremely” confident that their institution’s cybersecurity practices could prevent ransomware attacks—up from 73 percent in 2022.
