On September 2, 2024, the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne fell victim to a severe cyberattack that has crippled its online services. The attack, which involved a large-scale bot offensive, aimed to overwhelm the university’s systems, causing significant disruptions to its website. According to a communication sent to students, the assault has rendered the site either unresponsive or extremely slow, with users frequently encountering 404 (page not found) and 504 (gateway timeout) errors. These issues have severely hampered the university’s ability to process requests and provide essential services online.
In response to the attack, the university’s IT team has been working diligently to mitigate the impact and restore normal operations. The institution has emphasized that their top priority is to stabilize the site and ensure that student and faculty experiences are minimally affected. During this period of disruption, students have been advised to reach out to registration support or academic services for assistance, as the normal online functions are impaired.
This cyberattack at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne follows a similar incident at the University of Paris-Saclay, which experienced a massive cyber assault affecting all its internal servers. Both attacks occurred during critical periods for educational institutions, notably during student registration and the beginning of the academic year. This timing suggests that the attackers are deliberately targeting universities at their most vulnerable times.
The repeated targeting of educational institutions highlights the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures. As the university continues to address the immediate effects of the attack, it serves as a stark reminder of the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber threats facing educational organizations. The situation underscores the importance of robust cyber defenses to protect critical infrastructure and maintain the integrity of online academic services.
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