Vanderbilt University Hit by Cyberattack That Impacts Multiple Services
Vanderbilt University confirmed an active cybersecurity incident on Monday, November 9, 2026, that disrupted campus systems. Officials urged faculty and staff to shut down university devices, disconnect from campus WiFi, and stay vigilant while IT teams investigated and worked to contain the breach. The university stated the incident could affect devices, systems, and cloud-based services.
Campus WiFi was later restored, but access to most systems and applications remained restricted. Staff, faculty, and students were told to report for work and classes as scheduled on Tuesday. Vanderbilt Health confirmed its hospital and clinical facilities were unaffected.
Early signs included notifications that files in the Box cloud storage platform had been deleted, including accreditation materials and admissions procedures. The university’s employee IT help line reportedly crashed, and some staff said they received little guidance beyond public statements. Students were notified more than an hour and a half after faculty, according to the student newspaper.
The ransomware group BYOD claimed responsibility. The group has also claimed recent attacks on Michigan State University and the University of New Mexico Health System, asserting it obtained large amounts of personal data such as Social Security numbers, names, emails, phone numbers, and student/employee records. In the New Mexico case, BYOD later apologized after realizing patient systems were affected and offered compensation, though the university cautioned that the offer itself could be a scam.
University IT continued working with government agencies and partners Monday evening. Classes and operations were expected to proceed Tuesday with limited system access.
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