IVC updates students regarding ransomware attack
College president says some personal information was compromised
IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Imperial Valley College (IVC) continues to deal with the aftermath of a summertime ransomware attack.
Hackers hit the college's computer network in early August. IVC's information technology (IT) department immediately secured the school's network systems, and called in experts to investigate. The college also devoted all its IT and engineering resources to resolve the problem.
IVC ultimately decided to pay the $55,000 ransom to get key systems working. Insurance did cover that payment.
Still, the status of students' personal information remained in doubt. IVC President Martha O. Garcia provided an update on that status Tuesday for students. In an email Garcia writes:
"While the investigation has been completed and we have received new preliminary information that will need to be further clarified by third-party experts, I felt it was critical to be transparent, in spite of the fact that we will not have answers to all your questions.
The results of the investigation reflect that personal information was retrieved. While we have no evidence to suggest that any of the impacted information was viewed or misused during this compromise, we are working diligently to identify affected individuals and will notify them in accordance with all state and federal laws. We will provide measures to assist them in protecting their private information."
- Martha O. Garcia, IVC President/Superintendent
Garcia goes on to say anyone directly impacted by the hack will receive a letter within 15-days to provide direction and support.
