Cyberattack Disrupts Columbia University Systems

Columbia University experienced a suspected cyberattack on Tuesday morning, which caused its digital systems to go offline for several hours. The university promptly alerted authorities and worked to restore the affected services.

The disruption impacted systems on the Morningside campus, including essential services like the university email and CourseWorks platform used by faculty and students. Students were initially notified about widespread outages via email around 7:30 a.m., with a message indicating ongoing efforts to fix the issues. Later, staff and students were advised to remain logged in to ensure continued access.

During the outage, unusual images appeared on campus screens, though officials have not confirmed whether these were connected to the cyberattack. A dormitory TV displayed a picture of President Trump, raising questions about the incident’s nature. Additionally, a group claimed responsibility for the outage online, but the university has dismissed these claims as false.

While the university’s IT team worked to resolve the situation, authorities were notified, and investigations are ongoing. Despite the chaos, university officials confirmed that clinical operations at CUIMC (Columbia University Irving Medical Center) remained unaffected.

Law enforcement agencies have not publicly disclosed their involvement, and there is no confirmation of the specific entity investigating the breach. The incident comes amid heightened awareness of cyber threats following recent international tensions, including recent U.S. military actions in the Middle East.