Hackers demand ransom from Cambrian College

Hackers hit Cambrian College Hackers demand ransom from Cambrian College after breaching its online system. Claude Sharma reports.

It's the end of the semester for most students at Cambrian College in Sudbury, but that didn't stop a hacker or hackers from compromising the school's system with a computer virus last week.

The virus is known as ransomware. It encrypts files, and included a payment demand of $54,000 to have it removed.

The ransomware meant students couldn’t check their grades or register for the spring semester.

Instead of paying the hackers, the school engaged a high tech firm to deal with the issue.

“So we've managed to restore two labs, which we've deemed clean and the library area for our students, and another lab for students and faculty. We also have a mobile lab available for faculty for requiring access to enter grades,” said Rick Daoust, Cambrian College chief information officer.

Daoust said it's too early to identify the root cause, as a third party cyber security firm is still investigating.

CTV spoke to some of the thousands of students at Cambrian.

“There are some files we need on the school system that we can't access so we can't do that and we can't see our e-grades - so we don't know our final marks yet.”

“There have been delays in the final tests and in the final submissions we have to do but not a big problem.”

“I was here Monday and we went into the lab, computers were down, so we weren't able to have our class.”

Cambrian said it has extended deadlines to meet end of semester requirements and the release of grades has been delayed for several days, but they are expected to be up by Saturday.

Registration for the next semester will begin on Sunday.