'I don’t think students seem to be too concerned': MTU classes resume following cyberattack

Munster Technological University's four Cork campuses reopen after ransomware cyberattack

Students return to Munster Technology University, Bishopstown, Cork, after a cyberattack on its computer systems saw the campus close last week. Picture: Dan Linehan

Students returned to Munster Technological University (MTU) yesterday after last week’s cyberattack closed the four Cork campuses and led to a substantial amount of data being stolen by hackers and put on the dark web.

Efforts will now have to be made to sift through what information has been released, said Richard Browne, director of the National Cyber Security Centre, which has been working with MTU.

A court order was sought last week prohibiting the sharing and release of the stolen material in Ireland.

The hackers who targeted MTU are in a ransomware group called Black Cat. They are understood to be based either in Russia or part of the former Soviet Union.

Mr Browne warned anyone connected to MTU to be particularly careful of any phishing emails or scams, and to watch their financial details.

Those students and staff returning to MTU on Monday told of not being able to use the university wifi and finding workarounds, such as hotspotting internet off their phones and handing in assignments manually in class rather than as they usually would online.

MTU student Abha Joyce. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Abha Joyce, a first-year applied biological sciences student said she lost access to MTU IT services before she received email notification about the IT breach.

She said the shutdown was initially confusing as students did not know what was expected of them while they had no access to Canvas, the content management system used to upload and collaborate on assignments and share materials.

“We got an email saying that they [MTU] would be contacting people soon about whose data has been taken,” she said.

“They haven’t said what’s been taken, so you’re not aware of what is at risk.”

MTU student Emma Morrissey. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Pharmaceutical biotechnology student Emma Morrissey said that much of her course is lab-based, so losing access to the physical space last week had an impact.

“We have lab exams already scheduled in, so we don’t know if we’ll fit all our labs in before them now,” she said. “It’s a bit tight. I think everything is going to be put off for a while because we can’t access anything, really.”

“We have access to email on our phone, but we can’t access it on our computers. You can go into Canvas, but I haven’t tried to submit anything. And you can’t connect to the MTU wifi. So it’s still disruptive.

“But I don’t think students seem to be too concerned [about data]. MTU has not said that it’s too much of a concern.”

Toni Wilson, a fourth-year business student, said that losing access to Canvas has had the biggest impact.

“Lecturers can’t put notes up on Canvas, which is concerning, because if you miss anything, you can’t find the notes,” she said.

“And for assignment work, we can’t download anything, it all has to be sent through email to us.

“Everything would usually be put on Canvas for us. And for group assignments, we can’t connect.

“We’re not allowed to connect to the college internet. Our lecturer just told us there that they don’t know when they can connect again. Canvas is their main concern at the moment.

“We’ll have to see how it affects us with assignment work. I have a lot coming up, there are a lot of assignments and some are group assignments. We weren’t able to put ourselves in groups either, which was a bit of a disaster.”

Daragh McGuinness, who is studying global business with pilot studies at MTU, said that last week’s closure had a limited impact on him and his classmates.

MTU student Daragh McGuinness. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

“We don’t have college on Fridays and Monday was a bank holiday, so we only missed Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday,” he said.

“The class we’re going to now, technological math, we were supposed to have a test today but it’s been put off by a week because of the closure. So I don’t think we missed out on too much.”

MTU student Shane Whyte. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

His classmate Shane Whyte said they were told they have flexibility with their modules, so missing one week will not impact on their exams.

“There hasn’t been much talk of the data. The main thing you notice is you have to pay with cash not a card in the canteen now, but there’s not much talk of it."