Cambridge University and other universities across the UK have suffered repeated server outages following a series of DDoS attacks swept through the academic institutions.
The Cambridge Judge Business School posted on X (formerly Twitter) this Monday that internet access at the university is "still patchy although the status is now amber (from Red)."
The college claimed the attack as part of the wider attack on the JANET Network across the UK. The school noted that other schools are also suffering the same attack.
JANET Network refers to the domain "keeping 18 million users in education and research" and is considered to have the busiest data server with its volume throughout Europe.
Also Read: University of Michigan Suffers Cyberattack Requiring Students, Staff to Reset Passwords
More Cyberattacks Recorded Across UK
The recent DDoS attack on Cambridge University follows after the increasing trend of cyberattacks on UK IT services.
Businesses and state facilities have reported a surge in DDoS and ransomware attacks since last year.
Most notable was the ransomware hacking on the British Library, rendering its online servers and computers unusable for months.
As of writing, the Library's servers have returned operational, albeit at a limited availability as other services are still being restored.
Related Article: British Library Back Online After Disastrous Ransomware Hacking
How to Protect Personal Data from DDoS Attack
Unlike other cyberattacks, DDoS or Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks is a method where the perpetrator floods the targeted server with internet traffic until it becomes inaccessible due to overload.
There is no report yet that a DDoS attack was used to steal users' data as it is mainly intended to disrupt digital operations.
However, to make sure all personal data are protected on all sites accessed, always check the internet cookies required by the website to see what information they are collecting.
Adjusting the allowed cookie information provided or adding VPN while browsing will provide enough protection to personal data after servers become vulnerable following a DDoS attack.
