June

Latest info on campus malware incident

Information Technology Services asks users to remain vigilant.

June 21, 2018

On Monday Information Technology Services identified a number of computers at MSU Denver that were affected by malware. Mike Hart, director of security, infrastructure and network services with ITS, said the malware was likely delivered through phishing emails with malicious links. Hart estimates that 200 Windows PCs were affected. The campus community was notified by email on Monday afternoon and received regular updates on the incident.

“At this time, we have no indication that personal or private information was compromised,” Hart said. “We have done a lot of work to mitigate the threat and to ensure as little interruption to the University community as possible.”  

The department has also engaged with law enforcement and an IT security firm that consults with the University on “sophisticated” attacks such as these. The firm has been actively assisting with investigations to shed further light on the nature of the incident.

Hart said ITS is taking an “overly cautious” approach in response to this incident. The ITS department will work with those affected to ensure the least possible interruption in daily operations.    

ITS is encouraging all users on campus to be extremely cautious with email messages, especially those from an unfamiliar source, and to avoid clicking on links in emails. The department asks that any suspicious email be forwarded to spam@msudenver.edu. Please also contact the ITS helpdesk if you have issues with your computer. ITS will be putting together a report on the operational impact of this incident, including estimated costs incurred, once a full assessment is complete.