Cybersecurity Incident – April 2023

Cybersecurity Incident – April 2023

On April 4, 2023, Hiram College experienced a network outage which impacted systems and services across our campus. Our IT team is working around the clock alongside a team of external experts to restore services and advise the college about the next steps.  

We do not have a time estimate for restoration of the remaining services but are working with some of the best experts in the field to get our systems back up and running. We will keep you informed of developments.  

Unavailable or Modified Services 

The following systems are unavailable or modified: 

  • On-campus Internet access (wired and wireless) 
  • Moodle 
  • The Portal (my.hiram.edu) 
  • Self-Service 
  • DegreeWorks 
  • Banner, and third-party applications of Banner 
  • Office voicemail system 
Available Services 

The following services have been restored or have not been impacted: 

FAQs

We are working with external information technology experts to conduct a detailed technical investigation into the incident. At this time, we have no evidence that any data has been compromised.  However, keep in mind that our investigation is in the earliest stages and is still ongoing. Restoring normal operations and protecting data integrity are our top priorities. We will provide further updates and information as appropriate. 

It is always a good idea to regularly change passwords on all accounts, such as online banking and credit card accounts, and to monitor your accounts for unusual activity.

  Tips for setting strong passwords include: 

  • Use different passwords on different systems and accounts. 
  • Don’t use passwords that are based on personal information that can be easily accessed or guessed. 
  • Use the longest password or passphrase permissible by each password system. 
  • Don’t use words that can be found in any dictionary of any language. 
  • Refer to Tips on choosing and protecting passwords for best practices and additional information. 

Our IT team, with the assistance of outside experts, has been working diligently to restore all unavailable services. If you have additional questions regarding the modified or adjusted services, please contact Carl Powell, Ph.D., chief information officer at powellc@hiram.edu.