Update on Guilford Technical Community College Data Security Incident

Jamestown, N.C. (November 13, 2020) — Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) was recently the victim of a ransomware attack. As a result of the incident, GTCC immediately launched an investigation, with the assistance of leading cybersecurity experts, the FBI, and other state agencies to determine what happened and to remediate the attack. This investigation is currently ongoing. The forensic investigation confirmed that the cybercriminal(s) gained access to GTCC’s network prior to the attack and that personal information may have been accessible as a result.

Unfortunately, the forensic investigation was unable to confirm what personal information was impacted, if any. However, GTCC believes that the cybercriminal(s) did gain access to certain personal information in its possession. Because the extent of the impacted personal information cannot be identified, out of an abundance of caution GTCC made the decision to notify potentially impacted current and former faculty, staff, and students. GTCC is currently conducting an extensive data mining effort to identify any additional individuals that may be impacted as a result of the attack as well.

On November 5, 2020, GTCC mailed written notice of this incident to potentially impacted current and former faculty, staff, and students. This notification contains an offer of two (2) years of complimentary credit monitoring and identity restoration services in which individuals may enroll, as well as additional information on what individuals can do to better protect against the possibility of identity theft and fraud, if desired. Additional notifications, if required, will occur in the coming weeks.

For more information about this incident and what GTCC is doing to respond, please periodically check the college’s website. As the investigation unfolds and GTCC learns more, the college will update its website to provide additional information as warranted.

If current and former faculty, staff and students believe they should have received notice of this incident or would like to update their contact information if they have not received a letter, please contact the GTCC dedicated call-center at (833) 256-3157.

The call center is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to midnight EST and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST. When contacting the call center, callers need to provide engagement number DB23621 and specify their request for confirmation or to update their information. The call center will take the caller’s contact information and they will be contacted within three days.

About Guilford Technical Community College

Guilford Technical Community College is the third largest of 58 institutions in the North Carolina Community College System. GTCC serves nearly 35,000 students annually from five campuses and a Small Business Center. Learn more at www.gtcc.edu.