THE DATA PROTECTION Commission is “assessing” a reported data breach at the Munster Technological University (MTU) in this week’s ransomware attack.

MTU Cork confirmed last night that hackers had encrypted data and demanded a ransom.

The cyber attack impacted computer systems as well as phone lines across the Cork city campus while its Kerry facilities were unaffected. 

Today a spokesperson for the Data Protection Commission confirmed that their investigators were involved in assessing the incident.

Sources have said that while the exact extent of the data breach is not known the worse-case scenario would be that the personal details of the Cork campus’ students and staff have been exposed in the attack. 

According to the MTU website there are currently 12,000 students enrolled in the college with 1,425 staff members. 

A spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is part of the Department of Communications, said that NCSC technicians were on site and dealing with the fall out. 

The spokesperson also confirmed that NCSC personnel had confirmed the presence of a ransomware which is a demand for money in return for a key to cancel the encryption.

A source said that the work is painstaking but that systems put in place in anticipation of a cyber attack had helped.

While much of the work is focused on reinstating a back-up of files each file must be individually checked by the experts to ensure that it is not infected with the ransomware virus. 

Along with the DPC and NCSC the gardaí from the national cyber crime bureau were also working on the incident and investigating the source of the attack. 

Darkweb

Sources have said that those investigators were monitoring the Darkweb and other fora to determine if any of the data appears there.

According to the National Cyber Security Strategy IDA Ireland has supported the establishment of the Cyber Ireland Programme by the MTU Cork campus.

The document said that this was to establish and grow an Irish Cyber Security Cluster in Ireland.

Cyber Ireland was officially launched in May 2019 and involves input from industry, State and academia. 

This is the second incidence of a major ransomware attack on an Irish State entity with the HSE previously suffering a similar breach.

A spokesperson for MTU said that they were not giving an update on progress today but did say that a college IT team was continuing to assist State agencies with their enquiries and work.  

The campus will remain closed Thursday and Friday following the “significant” IT breach and telephone outage earlier this weekend.

It comes amid suspicions that the cyber breach attack was targeted specifically over the long weekend to delay the response, with sources saying it is a “common pattern” for hackers. 

Classes in Bishopstown, the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), the Crawford College of Art and Design and the Cork School of Music were cancelled after the breach, but all campuses will now remain closed until next week.

The NMCI is located in Ringaskiddy and is involved in training international seafarers involved in the cruise business as well as international cargo shipping.

It also has a close link with the Naval Service with members being trained at the facility.