#PermanentlyClosed- A college is shutting down following a ransomware attack

Lincoln College says it will be closed this week after a ransomware attack that took months to resolve. The impact of COVID-19 had a serious impact on activities such as recruitment and financing, but cyberattacks appear to have been a turning point for  Illinois agencies. The University of 

  has notified the Illinois Department of Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission that it will be completely closed on May 13. As NBC News points out, it was the first  university in the United States to be partially closed due to a ransomware attack. 

 Lincoln says there was a "record student registration" in the fall of 2019. However, the pandemic has significantly reduced enrollment, as some students have opted to postpone or take a leave of absence from college. The university, one of the few rural schools under the Ministry of Education that qualifies primarily as a black educational institution, said these are affecting its financial position. 

 Last December, Lincoln was hit by a cyber-attack. "We have frustrated admissions, disabled access to all institutional data, and created an unclear situation for registration in the fall of 2022. All the systems needed to hire, maintain, and raise funds weren't working." Said. "Fortunately, no personally identifiable information is disclosed. After a full recovery in March 2022, forecasts showed a significant lack of registration that required transformative donations or partnerships to maintain Lincoln College beyond the current semester. Lincoln says it helps students who haven't graduated this semester transfer to another university. 

 In recent years, ransom hackers have  other educational institutions such as hospitals, game studios, and Sinclair. Broadcast Group and many other companies have attacked other companies and institutions.