What happened
Aurora College in Canada experienced a cyberattack that disrupted IT systems and services across its campuses. The institution shut down affected systems as a precaution while investigating the incident and working toward recovery. Details on data exposure have not yet been confirmed.
Who is affected
Students, faculty, and staff at Aurora College experienced service outages and operational disruption.
Why CISOs should care
Higher-education institutions remain prime ransomware and extortion targets due to open networks and sensitive data.
3 practical actions
1. Strengthen backups: Ensure secure, offline backups are maintained and tested.
2. Reduce attack surface: Harden remote access and administrative systems.
3. Improve awareness: Train staff to recognize phishing and social engineering attempts.
John Kevin Hao is a news and feature writer covering cybersecurity, technology, and business targeted for professional audiences.