October 20th, 2023

Dear Chattanooga State Community,

As you know, Chattanooga State was the target of a ransomware attack discovered on May 6. The College takes the privacy and security of its constituents very seriously and immediately took steps in an effort to address and mitigate the situation. As such, on June 27, Chattanooga State notified 1,244 individuals impacted by the May 6 security incident that may have resulted in unauthorized access to personal information. 

This week, the College received information indicating that the cybercriminal compromised more than just the initial 1,244 individuals’ personal information on the May 6 incident. The College confirmed yesterday, October 19, that the cybercriminal posted additional compromised files from the May 6 incident online this week—this is not a new incident.

At this time, we are still investigating the scope of the additional files impacted, but we do know that some employee personal information was compromised. The information may have included name, physical address, phone number, and/or social security number.

The College will offer complimentary credit monitoring to those individuals whose personal information was compromised. The College will pay for the credit monitoring service. More information will be forthcoming regarding how to enroll.

The College encourages vigilance and recommends taking precautionary measures to protect your personal information. You can find information about best practices on the $ FAQ page on the College's website.

 

Sincerely,
Rebecca Ashford, Ed.D.
President