(Shoreline, Wash., March 23, 2023) – Shoreline Community College (Shoreline)
On March 20, 2023, Shoreline Community College (Shoreline) experienced a ransomware incident that is temporarily impacting certain on-campus operations. Immediately upon detecting the incident, Shoreline’s IT team took steps to contain the incident, and engaged industry leading third-party cybersecurity experts to help the investigation and restoration processes. We have also notified local and federal authorities. Our Administrators, Faculty, and Staff are working proactively with campus partners to continue supporting our students, staff, and members of our community.
Unfortunately, this incident has caused a disruption to several on-campus services. Therefore, we have transitioned the majority of our operations to remote work until further notice. Please note our campus remains open for those who need it. Safety & Security, along with the Parent Child Center, and Facilities will continue to operate as usual.
Our teams, in partnership with third-party cybersecurity experts, are working to restore impacted systems as quickly and as safely as possible. We deeply regret the inconvenience this has caused our Shoreline community, and we continue to work diligently to resolve this issue. We are committed to a culture of transparency and honesty in the Shoreline community, and will continue to provide additional updates as appropriate.
Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate through this access outage. You will find a comprehensive list of helpful FAQS at the end of this post. These FAQs will also be available via e-mail, and we are working to post them on the Student Support site as well. We will be continuing to update this list as more items arise, including the addition of the questions gathered from today’s Zoom forum.
In addition to the FAQS we also have an important update from Technology Support Services (TSS) which is listed below.
On Campus Printing
We have enabled all Ricoh printers on-campus to print from and scan to a USB/Flash drive. Here are some helpful instructions to assist you.
Printing from a USB/Flash Drive:
Ensure document/file is saved on the flash drive.
Insert flash drive on the left side of the printer control panel.
Press “PRINTER” button or Printer icon.
Press “PRINT FROM MEMORY STORAGE DEVICE”\
Press “MEM.DEVICE” icon
SELECT FILES you need to print from flash drive
Press “START PRINTING”
Scroll down (if necessary) by pressing or
Wait until printing is done
Press “UP ONE LEVEL” button before unplugging flash drive.
Scanning to a Flash Drive/USB
Insert flash drive on the left side of the printer control panel.
Press “SCANNER” button or Scanner icon
Press “STORE FILE”
Press “STORE TO MEMORY DEVICE”
Press “OK”
Press “START” button
When you see “WRITING COMPLETE…” message, press “EXIT”
When done, press “RESET” button
Remove Flash Drive.
Thank you!
Cat Chiappa
Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing
support@shoreline.edu
Access Outage FAQs
General Info
Question
Answer
Is Shoreline the only Community or Technical College impacted?
Some sister colleges have been impacted in the past, and this is a nationwide issue that other institutions have experienced previously.
At this time, we are not aware of any current issues at other institutions.
Is there a way to find out how it happened?
We are currently working with external agencies and are in the process of analyzing our systems to identify the source and the total extent of impact.
Do we have a timeline?
We are currently investigating and assessing. We cannot provide an estimated timeline.
How long has it taken for other colleges to go back online?
It depends on the college and their situation, so we are not able to provide a timeline to be back online.
Without sharing sensitive information – has the college been contacted and do we know what the people who orchestrated the attack want?
We are working with local and outside authorities and are not able to address that at this time.
Is the College open? What services are currently available? How do I contact them?
The college is still open. Services are available both in-person and remotely. Here is a list of contact information for various offices.
Where can I find information?
The Shoreline Support Center, support.shoreline.edu , has resource information and links, including:
Student, faculty, and staff email is still available. Students can access their email by going to Gmail and signing in with your @go.shoreline.edu address.
No, ctcLink is a cloud-based solution that is housed by the State Board.
If you are off the campus network, you can access it.
Laptops and Security
Question
Answer
Do we have any assurance that our laptops are safe? I am concerned about logging in from my work computer on my home wi-fi as this could expose the home network.
Most laptops use Intune which is a cloud-based management service, and as such they do not currently appear to be affected.
Did student/ staff information get compromised? Our Workforce grant requires that we work with DSHS in case of a breach.
We are currently working with several external agencies to identify what has been potentially accessed. We will continue to provide updates as we have more information.
We will comply with any legal notification obligations in connection with the incident.
Should we avoid using VPN (virtual private network)?
VPN is unavailable at this time.
I am unable to get authentication from home – am I doing something wrong
This should work, but you can try clearing your cache in your web browser.
Is signing into Canvas at shoreline.instructure.com safe for home laptops?
Yes, it is safe; it is completely cloud-based and separate from our network.
There was an announcement that a security patch is available for Windows 365. Should we be making that update on our laptops?
Yes, it is always best practice to update security whenever you are prompted to do so.
I noticed that QR codes that had direct links to pages on our website were still working. Are those safe to continue using?
If you have concerns about any QR codes on campus do not scan them.
When can we expect to hear to what extent students’ and employees’ sensitive data (SSNs, etc.) is compromised?
Currently, we are undergoing analysis to determine what the entire impact is to the college and campus community.
Once we know more, appropriate notifications will be sent out as appropriate.
I logged into Canvas and ctcLink and email over the weekend (both days) and early enough this morning that I discovered www.shoreline.edu unavailable (that 404-error message) via a very secure computer on my home network.
We do not believe there are additional malware risks from accessing campus platforms.
“How short is the quickest return from ransomware for any of the ctcLink colleges? How long the longest?”
We are not able to project this at this time.
We work with DSHS and have been told SharePoint isn’t secure enough for them. Do you have any suggestions for us?
We will reach out to them and follow-up.
Do people need to be worried about what they are clicking on? Will it exacerbate things or make them worse?
Regardless of the situation, people should always be aware and ensure things are coming from a known or legitimate source.
How do you know if a link is legitimate?
When testing the legitimacy of links, you can look at who the sender is.
Make sure the name matches up with the e-mail, and that it is something you are expecting
If you’re using Outlook or Microsoft resources, whenever you click on a link in an outlook e-mail is does a check on the URL before you route over to that
Be very cautious.
Student Info (Finals, Classes, Technology Access)
Question
Answer
General Questions
I am a new student. How does this impact me?
New students do not currently have access to create their network accounts if they do not have one already.
This means that students will not be able to login into Canvas or their student e-mail.
This is a priority for the college, and we are currently working to resolve this issue.
How do I know what systems I CAN access?
We have started an article with direct links to software for staff and students.
Shoreline Support Center Zoom Room: Monday-Friday 9am-1pm and 2-4:30pm. Available staff can answer a variety of questions related to enrollment, tuition, technology access, etc. You can find the room at: support.shoreline.edu > student tab >bottom of the page. Departments also are available by email.
Do we know if this will last into spring quarter?
It is not yet known how long this outage will last. Most college resources are available remotely during this time.
Are the students in the residence hall impacted?
Students in residential halls have a separate wireless system and shouldn’t be impacted technologically.
Finals
Are we expecting that this will continue through finals?
We have no present ETA for resolution at this time, but we would expect that to be the case.
Are my finals/classes moving to remote?
In-person finals will continue as planned whenever possible, and further updates about upcoming classes will be sent out as available. Students should connect to their faculty members through Canvas. Faculty should connect with their dean if they are unsure about the appropriate status.
Class Info
Are lab classrooms on the network?
Computers here on campus are affected and it is not possible to sign on to machines right now.
If you are accessing a cloud-based software, you can do so remotely
Can I register for classes through ctcLink?
Yes, you can. You can view AND register for courses in ctcLink.
Where can I check my grades?
You can view your grades in ctcLink after Wednesday, March 29.
Why are my classes not showing up in Starfish or ctcLink?
Students may experience a delay in their new courses being updated in Starfish and ctcLink.
Student Resources
How does this impact students who receive accommodation from Student Accessibility Services?
Students should not experience a disruption in the support they receive from SAS. SAS is available remotely and has limited in-person presence.
To contact a staff member, e-mail sas@shoreline.edu or call 206-546-4545.
Are Counseling Services still available?
Counseling Services are available remotely. To schedule an appointment with a counselor, call 206-546-5494 and leave a message.
Additional resources that are available include:
King County Crisis Line: 1-866-427-4747
Snohomish County Crisis Line: 800-584-3578
National Suicide Prevention Line (talk or text): 988
Are Enrollment Services still available?
Enrollment Services is available for in-person and virtual support for the following:
Yes, limited printing is available in the library. You need to bring a USB (thumb) drive with you to plug into the printer in order to be able to print.
Is the Testing Center still open?
The testing center is open for both in-person and online support.
Financial Aid and Student Payment
Question
Answer
Has the student payment processing problem been resolved for new students registering? Continuing Ed students can register via Campus CE, but still not pay.
There was a broken link they are working to fix, which does not appear related to this issue. We hope to have more information soon.
Can students pay tuition/fees at the Shoreline Support Center?
They will need to pay through ctcLink, which is linked via the Shoreline Support Center.If this process does not work, then see the next comment about pay by phone.
How can I pay for my tuition?
You can pay for your tuition with a Visa or Mastercard by contacting the Cashiers Office at 206-546-7850 and leaving a voicemail for callback or e-mailing accountsreceivable@shoreline.edu.
Will I be dropped from my classes for non-payment?
The college will delay the drop-for-nonpayment process for students this spring classes due to these access concerns. Students are strongly encouraged to make a payment for their tuition as soon as possible to avoid being dropped from their classes in the future.
How will this impact scholarships from the Foundation?
Scholarships should still be disbursed on schedule. For more information about this, e-mail foundation@shoreline.edu.
Can I (still) set up a payment plan?
Yes, you can set up a payment plan via ctcLink; follow these instructions.
Faculty/Staff Information
General Info
Can you please tell us again how to contact students by e-mail?
You can contact students directly through Canvas or message them directly through CtcLink
Is there a workaround for us to let students into Canvas courses, even if they cannot activate their Shoreline Network accounts?
We are currently working on this issue.
Spring Quarter
Do we know if this will last into spring quarter?
Currently, we do not have enough information to make a clear determination on this.
This week we are holding schedule adjustment meetings and hope to have more information soon to see what is possible if need be. What we do know is that
Most in-person classes can run
Online classes will run
We are looking into what options we can run for hybrid classes.
Can we link the Spring schedule on the support.shoreline.edu site linking wa070.ctclink.us there directly?
The Web team can link whatever support articles are needed to support the college.
Clarification question: I understand that students can still enroll via ctcLink—-but will students who register for a spring class *now* via ctcLink show up in spring Canvas shells?
If they were previously registered, they will show up.
If they just applied today and registered for a class, they will not automatically show up because our software does that, and we are working to come up with a solution.
Finals and Final Grades
Are we expecting that this will continue through finals?
We have no present ETA for resolution, but we would expect that to be the case.
We have loaner computers that we use for testing. If we use a hotspot, can we download exams and use those computers? We don’t need wi-fi access during the exam.
IPads should be fine to hotspot for exam download.
Students who are normally using on-campus lab computers (i.e., in the VCT lab) due to not having computer access at home, will need to finish projects next quarter, as lab computers and software require online and server licensing.
It is likely students/faculty will have to push those projects out until these issues are resolved.
International Education
Question
Answer
Should we assume ISM will be down as long as this issue persists?
Yes
System Access for Admin and Faculty
Question
Answer
Does this affect Report Server and Formstack?
Access is currently down for Report Server. CtcLink queries are working, so contact Institutional Reseach for help @ cpastore@shoreline.edu .
Formstack: Some data and forms can be filled out, but it won’t feed into our local system at this time.
Our AIM (Accessible Information Management) syncs with the servers, is that daily update suspended? AIM is web based and we have accommodated testers we manage through AIM including downloading, updating, and editing testing related work.
Any updates coming from on campus systems are suspended
However, most of the data should already be there for what people are registered for regarding the current week
More information is needed on what this will mean for new classes.
There are several Important financial reports due soon, e.g., IPEDS Finance Survey, 2022 HERF Annual report that need work to complete. Possible extensions?
Stay tuned for more info on this. We will work together to contact the necessary partners and take whatever measures we need to.
Will Flywire be impacted?
Flywire is a cloud-based application so access should not be impacted
Several areas need access to the shared drive and remote desktop in order to avoid significantly impacting work. Do we have any idea when access might be restored to certain items like this?
Currently there is no estimated time for service restoration
Within your unit you could start a SharePoint folder and pull files from e-mail to help recreate some files
Be careful if you go this route though, because if you do this without working with TSS you may have some access issues in the future
Can we access 25live? If so, Q for Jenifer A: can a report be pulled to notify all Faculty teaching a final in a lab (1300s, 1401) this week that they need to move finals online?
Yes, it is available
Yes, Faculty are aware that alternate arrangement needs to be made.
Do we have access to tape (right word?) backups from Friday or before if we need mission-critical data? (Specifically thinking about the shared drive)
We are working with backup providers to verify access to and integrity of backup data. Shoreline has not used tape backups for quite a few years.
Human Resources
Question
Answer
Will this affect hiring committees/NEOGOV?
Hiring will not be affected. People should plan to attend all meetings and interviews online this week
To what extent will this affect payroll processing, if any?
Currently, we have payroll almost done and do not anticipate anything impacting that today.
Payroll is largely out of the scope of what was impacted.
Will this mean that we will need to work when we are off contract? Can the union speak to this?
We have reached out to both unions and will be working with faculty and classified unions on anything that deviates from regular practices to help people in the transition.
Anything outside of normal requirements we will be working with the unions on.
Should staff be working remotely until this is resolved?
It depends on the staff and their needs.
Campus is NOT closed, just moved to remote services where we cannot provide them in person on campus
Nothing is wrong with campus other than that we can’t access our normal systems.
PCC continues to be open- childcare does not require an online service to provide
Security will remain working onsite
Instructional lab techs can do work in person.
If you can do your work here, or some of your work here, you can be onsite
The College continues to experience technical problems with our website, campus Wi-Fi, and other online services. While we work to resolve these issues, we would like you to be aware of the following helpful information:
Final Exams: Most finals will be held in the original manner scheduled. If you have questions, please connect directly with your instructor via Canvas. You will be able to access your grades through ctcLink.
Direct Support: While our networks are down, we have shifted to hybrid work with support available both in-person and by Zoom. Links to important resources, such as Canvas and ctcLink, as well as helpful information and articles, are available at the Shoreline Support Center. All departments will continue to respond to email and live phone or voicemail.
Class Schedule and Registration: Access to the Spring Quarter class schedule and registration are still available through ctcLink. If you have questions about registration, please contact us at 206-546-4611. Classes begin on April 3.
Payments: Currently we are unable to access online tuition payments. However, students may still pay with Visa or Mastercard by phone. Please email accountsreceivable@shoreline.edu or leave a voicemail at (206)-546-7850 to arrange for a callback from our Cashiering team.
We appreciate your patience as we navigate through this situation.
Sincerely,
Phillip J. King, Ed.D.
Vice President for Student Learning, Equity, and Success
Shoreline Community College
Earlier today we released an update about this morning’s ransomware attack.We now have further details for you.
We are currently working with several local and federal authorities to determine the total impact to our operations. At this time, we are in the analysis phase, evaluating and identifying potential next steps.
All on-campus server and network services including the campus website, report services, printing, local computer logins, wifi, vpn, and remote connectivity are unavailable until further notice.
Currently access to ctcLink for enrollment, registration or payments, Microsoft Office 365, Sharepoint, Google Products, and OneDrive are available remotely.
Shoreline Community College appears to have experienced a ransomware attack, which has left the College website and campus Wi-Fi currently inaccessible. Due to this IT systems outage, our campus will transition the majority of our operations to remote work until further notice. The College is working with local and federal authorities to resolve this issue. During this time campus remains open, however there is no access to the College website or campus wi-fi on college grounds.
Students and staff can also get live help in the Shoreline Support Center Zoom Room during regular college business hours at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81837734259 .
EMPLOYEE Info:
Employees impacted by the loss of wi-fi/website are directed to move to remote work.
TSS was made aware of multiple service outages on campus including our website. We are investigating and hope to have more information soon. Please avoid calling TSS or emailing/messaging any technician directly while we investigate and troubleshoot as it can slow down this process.
Dear Campus Community,
You will be noticing (and some of you may have already noticed) a new device worn on the vests of uniformed Campus Security personnel. This device gives our uniformed personnel the ability to call for police assistance if they find themselves in a situation that makes calling 9-1-1 impossible.
As changes are made within the department, we will continue to update the campus.
For questions, please come to the Safety & Security Office (5102), call us at: (206) 546-4633, or email: safetyandsecurity@shoreline.eduOffice Hours:
9am-4pm (Monday-Thursday)
9am-3pm (Friday)
Closed: 12pm-1pm (Daily)
Respectfully,
Your Department of Safety & Security
On behalf of Shoreline Community College, we wanted to reach out to the campus community to express our concern for students, faculty, staff, and family members who may be impacted by the recent event that unfolded at Michigan State University.
We are devastated by another senseless act of violence in the form of a mass shooting. As a college community, we must not only stand with all members of the MSU campus community but take action against the consistent assaults on our communities. We will continue to focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a mechanism to achieve social justice for all. We are responsible for our community, let’s choose to lead with love.
We recognize the trauma incidents such as these can have on our college community and want to remind all employees of the resources available to support you through this unfathomable time. Please do not hesitate to seek out services and should you see someone in need, please extend support.
Please know that we have resources available to both students and employees to counsel you through any potential emotional distress from this event.
CAMPUS RESOURCES
Employees may access services and support at any time through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 877-313-4455 (as provided by the Diversity Equity Officers Commission). Their service is confidential and free. We urge you to keep this number readily available in the event you or a colleague need to lean into this level of support. The EAP is available and here for you, should you or a family member want or need support. As a reminder, the EAP offers the following:
Shoreline College Community stands with and among those impacted by various world tragedies and events. The mental and physical wellness of our entire college community is a priority that cannot be overstated. As we grapple with the various acts of violence, unrest, and natural disaster in our local community and across the United States, we acknowledge as an institution with an international footprint here and abroad that global affairs also have an impact on our community’s well-being.
Our reach to spread the value of knowledge, community, and educational justice can sometimes feel limiting. There are multiple events happening simultaneously and as the four of us discussed this memo, we wanted to be mindful of the effects of sending multiple communications around heart-heavy issues that may cause harm to or trigger members of the community. We were also very intentional not to minimize the impact of any event by discussing them together. We hope you will extend grace to us, as our goal is to assist in making Shoreline CC a place where values of inclusion, safety, and support are prioritized
We see the devastation created by natural disasters with the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Our college community is impacted by this shocking event. Families are devastated by the loss of life, homes, jobs, and community. We have the power to advocate for equitable rehabilitation and individually have the power to help by researching ways to donate time, money, and energy, and we encourage you to find a way to help that reflects your best ability to support those internationally and those right here on campus.
While the memo could end here, we also see the political unrest play out in the news, which has a direct impact on members of our community. The most recent example is the “Chinese Balloon” and the implications for our Asian and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities are a concern. We know when the rhetoric grows so do instances of hate crimes. In Washington today, Dr Kahn noticed some of this rhetoric in a presentation he attended and believed it important to raise the flag of awareness now to ensure safety and that we proactively stand up for our Asian and Asian American colleagues and students.
We bear witness to much pain and trauma as a result of the diminishing emphasis on humanity. As an educational institution, it’s our obligation to protect humanity as a mechanism to advance knowledge, civic engagement and workforce preparation. We can serve as a beacon to other communities during these times of perpetual harm locally and abroad.
We will continue to show up in this space individually and collectively to actualize our community standard: Shoreline Community College is a place for students, employees, and the community to pursue excellence in education in an environment dedicated to equity, inclusiveness, and self-reflection. We value respectful, dynamic interactions and lively discussion. We strive to create an environment where everyone is supported and valued. Shoreline Community College does not tolerate hateful, violent, or discriminatory actions that target any person or group based on their beliefs, customs, identity, or affiliations. When one of us is diminished, all of us are diminished.
Should you or someone you know need support, please do not hesitate to connect with the follow resources:
CAMPUS RESOURCES
Employees may access services and support at any time through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 877-313-4455 (as provided by the Diversity Equity Officers Commission). Their service is confidential and free. We urge you to keep this number readily available in the event you or a colleague need to lean into this level of support. The EAP is available and here for you, should you or a family member want or need support. As a reminder, the EAP offers the following:
The Department of Safety & Security was made aware of several parking machine malfunctions this morning. Currently, no daily permits can be purchased from parking machines on campus. The vendor has been contacted and another update will be sent once a technician has completed troubleshooting and repairs. The college has always allowed for a grace period (approximately 1 week) at the beginning of the quarters for Staff Lot violations, Visitor Lot violations, and for vehicles not displaying a parking permit. The grace period for Winter Quarter 2023 will be thru Friday, January 20th. Please note, citations with fines assessed are always enforced (including during grace periods) for ADA parking violations, illegal parking, hazardous illegal parking, and Parent-Child Center parking violations. I hope everyone has a great start to Winter Quarter 2023.
For questions, please come to the Safety & Security Office (5102), call us at: (206) 546-4633 or email: safetyandsecurity@shoreline.edu
