On March 3, 2023, Gaston College posted a “System Interruption” notice after the school confirmed that it was the victim of a ransomware attack that may have jeopardized confidential student and faculty information contained on the school’s computer network. While Gaston College is still in the process of investigating the incident, the school is reviewing all affected data to determine what type of information was leaked and who it belonged to. Once Gaston College completes its investigation, the school will begin sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals who were impacted by the recent data security incident.

If you received a data breach notification from Gaston College, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. Educational institutions have a duty to protect the sensitive data in their possession, including student and faculty information. And, when a school, university or college negligently maintains confidential data leading to a data breach, the organization may be liable to any victim whose information was leaked. To learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft and what your legal options are in the wake of the Gaston College data breach, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What We Know So Far About a Possible Gaston College Breach

News of the Gaston College data breach is still fresh; however, what we know at this point comes from the posts Gaston College has released about the incident. According to these sources, on February 22, 2023, Gaston College first learned that it was the victim of a “network security incident.” In response, the school shut down portions of its computer network while it investigated the incident.

On March 3, 2023, Gaston College provided more information about the incident, noting that it was related to a ransomware attack that was carried out by an “unknown threat actor.” Under North Carolina Law, Gaston College was prevented from paying the ransom. Over the course of the next few weeks, Gaston College was able to bring its systems back online as its investigation continued.

Most recently, on April 26, 2023, Gaston College explained that it is working to “determine the extent of the network security incident and is working as expeditiously as possible to review potentially impacted data.”

If and when Gaston College confirms that confidential data was leaked, the school will begin sending out data breach letters to all individuals whose information was compromised as a result of the recent data security incident.

More Information About Gaston College

Founded in 1964, Gaston College is a public community college in Dallas, North Carolina. Currently, Gaston College operates three campuses, hosting a student body of over 20,000. Students have a choice of over 100 majors, minors, degree programs and certificate programs. Gaston College employs more than 460 people and generates approximately $332 million in annual revenue.