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Northern Essex Community College closed for 5th day due to cyberattack

“We are still working through details and continuing to put protections in place.”

Nathan Klima / The Boston Globe, File

March 7, 2023

Northern Essex Community College closed its campuses for a fifth day on Tuesday due to a cyberattack that began last week.

“We are still working through details and continuing to put protections in place,” the school said in a statement on Monday of the ongoing closure.

The college first became aware of unauthorized access to its network on March 1, when the school said it began working “closely” with both law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to investigate.

The school announced on Thursday that its campuses would be shuttered on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The closures then stretched into Monday and Tuesday.

“As it appears that this was a cyberattack, the College is conducting a full systems audit to determine exactly what systems may have been affected and what impact, if any, there is on student and employee information,” the school said on Sunday. “At this time, the College has no forensic evidence that this incident resulted in the unauthorized access to or acquisition of personally identifiable information.

“In the event that the investigation determines that personally identifiable information was compromised, appropriate notifications will be made, including contacting impacted individuals directly with guidance and next steps,” the college wrote.

The college said it is taking the matter “very seriously” and is aiming to be operational on Wednesday.