TU Eindhoven hit by cyber-attack

There is currently no wifi on the TU Eindhoven campus, and the internal systems are down. The technical university shut down its network on Sunday due to a cyberattack.

This Monday, all teaching at TU Eindhoven has been cancelled. While the buildings remain accessible, there is no network. All but one of the cafeterias are closed because the cash registers are not operational.

The network was disabled ‘to prevent further damage’, according to a statement. Wifi and internal systems will not be available until at least Tuesday morning. The university has not yet provided details about the attack.

Increased vigilance

The university is urging everyone to be extra vigilant for phishing emails. These are fake messages sent by hackers asking recipients to click on a link or log in somewhere. “TU/e will never send such emails”, the statement added.

Cyber-attacks, whether targeted or not, on universities, universities of applied sciences, and research institutions are increasingly common. The weakest link in IT systems is usually the user, who may click on suspicious links or use weak passwords.

Last August, research funder NWO suffered an attack. In 2021, the personal data of 530,000 people was stolen from the Arnhem and Nijmegen University of Applied Sciences.

Ransomware

The most high-profile attack occurred at Maastricht University. During the Christmas holidays of the 2019/2020 academic year, its systems were held hostage. The university ultimately decided to pay the ransom due to the damage to education and research.