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Ransomware Attack At Howard University Shuts Network, Classes Canceled

WASHINGTON (WJZ) -- A ransomware cyberattack at Howard University prompted an intentional network shutdown Friday the Washington, D.C.-based university said.

The school said there is no evidence yet of personal data being taken.

"We are currently working with leading external forensic experts and law enforcement to fully investigate the incident and the impact. To date, there has been no evidence of personal information being accessed or exfiltrated; however, our investigation remains ongoing, and we continue to work toward clarifying the facts surrounding what happened and what information has been accessed," the school said in a statement.

To give the school's IT team more time to address and investigate the incident, classes have been canceled for Tuesday, and the physical campus is open to employees only.

"Campus Wi-Fi will remain down until we determine the best and safest path to stand it up," the statement said. "Some applications are stored in the cloud and will remain active and accessible."

The school said it will update each day at 2 p.m. the status of campus operations for the next day. Dining halls will remain open, but nonessential employees need to remain home. Some applications will remain unavailable.

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