Global cyberattack names University of Missouri as one of its targets

Staff Reports
Updated ·1 min read
The six columns on the Francis Quadrangle on the University of Missouri's campus are seen on April 22, 2022, in Columbia, Mo.
The six columns on the Francis Quadrangle on the University of Missouri's campus are seen on April 22, 2022, in Columbia, Mo.

The University of Missouri is aware it has been named in a Russian cyberattack that has targeted dozen of victims globally.

UM System spokesperson Christian Basi told the Tribune the system is currently investigating after being made aware of the announcement, calling the investigation an IT issue.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported MU was named in the cyberattack, reportedly carried out by the Russian cyber-extortion ransomware gang known as "CL0P."

CL0P announced last week on its dark web site that its victims, who it suggested numbered in the hundreds, had until Wednesday to get in touch to negotiate a ransom or risk having sensitive stolen data dumped online.

"We're looking at an IT issue and investigating it right now," Basi told the Tribune. "We're also very aware of the announcement that came out and incorporating that into our investigation."

Last week, the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned that "CL0P" had exploited an online file-transfer software widely used by businesses, which was found to have a vulnerability.

Basi said the UM system could not provide more information as it is an ongoing investigation.

According to the Associated Press, U.S. officials have said the Department of Energy is among a small number of federal agencies compromised in the cyberattack. The impact is not expected to be great, the AP also reported.

Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told reporters that the hacking campaign was short, opportunistic and caught quickly. A senior CISA official said neither the U.S. military nor intelligence community was affected. Known victims to date include Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles and Oregon's Department of Transportation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story will be updated

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Global cyberattack names University of Missouri as one of its targets