The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) University was recently hit by a cyberattack that took down some of its digital services.
According to a Press release issued by the university, its Sudbury and Thunder Bay campuses lost internet service because of the attack. Shared and departmental drives also became inaccessible, along with numerous university websites and services.
NOSM said that measures to safeguard its network and protect its data and information systems have already been initiated, adding that it has sought the assistance of cybersecurity experts who are offering guidance on the appropriate course of action.
“We understand that disruptions like these are frustrating to staff, faculty and students, and that people have a lot of questions,” said NOSM president and CEO Sarita Verma in the release. “We are still in the early stages of addressing this matter. Be rest assured that we have taken the necessary measures to mitigate risk and address business continuity.”
The release, which was issued on Friday, went on to note that employees and students would be working remotely unless on-campus presence is necessary for student support or other in-person activities.
“NOSM University is working to ensure critical systems are operational as soon as possible,” the release stated.
The attack on NOSM is the latest in a string of cybersecurity incidents impacting Canadian organizations.
Last week, a former employee at Mackenzie Investments raised concerns about the security practices of third-party vendors after a data breach exposed the social insurance numbers of the firm’s clientele.
The breach occurred in late March after a third-party vendor, InvestorCOM Inc., was targeted by a cyberattack related to data transfer supplier GoAnywhere.
Other recent targets of cyberattacks include bookstore chain Indigo and Yellow Pages Canada.
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