MTU data appears on dark web after cyber attack

Munster Technological University, which confirmed on Sunday that data stolen in a recent cyber attack has been made available on the dark web, is to open as planned on Monday with classes to operate in line with existing schedules.

The university said on Sunday the National Cyber Security Centre had discovered that material accessed and copied from university systems was being made available online.

The university said its forensic experts were reviewing the nature of the data compromised. While the university said it was “not possible at this early stage to fully ascertain the exact nature of all data, including personal data affected or the identity of all persons affected by this release”, it had begun notifying all those potentially affected.

The university advised all those possibly affected to be extra vigilant in respect of potential attacks by email or SMS or other unsolicited communications. “Further information and advice on how to spot and protect yourself against phishing [attacks] is available from the National Cyber Security Centre,” the university said.

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The university also moved to assure students and staff it was deploying all available resources with the support of external forensic advisers and the Nations Cyber Security Centre in the investigation and mitigation of the attack.

Munster Technological University (MTU) said a High Court injunction it secured on Friday was “one of a number of measures being taken” in response to the blackmail demand the college said it had received since an attack on its computer systems.

The interim injunction order prohibits the sale, publication, possession or other use of any data that may have been illegally taken from the university’s systems. The university said it will “seek to enforce that injunction as far as possible”.

The university, which closed its Cork-based colleges for two days last week, also said it had engaged specialist services to closely monitor the internet for any possible leak of data.

“While the forensic investigation is ongoing to ascertain to what extent any personal data has been removed from MTU systems, the obtaining of this court order is one of a number of measures being taken by MTU in response to this incident and to mitigate its effects,” the university said.

The university was “working to restore all affected services as soon as possible, and updates in relation to the resumption of on-campus services will be communicated through the relevant channels”.

“We wish to again reassure all potentially affected users that we are deploying all available resources with the support of our external forensic advisers and the National Cyber Security Centre in the investigation and mitigation of this matter.”

Students and staff have been advised to check their email accounts and campus notice boards on a regular basis for details of return-to-campus guidance and updates.