November 12, 2022
SALINAS, CA. — In the early morning hours of October 2, 2022, Hartnell College was
the victim
of a sophisticated ransomware attack. The investigation is ongoing; however, it was
determined that
certain segments of the network were accessed during the incident. In an abundance
of caution, data
located in potentially impacted network locations was reviewed to identify the type
of information
contained therein.
“The third-party investigation confirmed that personal information was present in
the impacted
network locations,” said Hartnell President and Superintendent Michael Gutierrez.
"We take privacy
and security very seriously and will actively work to mitigate any risk to those affected."
Gutierrez
added that the college appreciates everyone’s patience during this time.
In the coming weeks, potentially impacted individuals will be receiving a written
notification letter,
including an offering for twenty-four months of complimentary credit monitoring and
identity theft
protection services.
Network updates, including information for students will be provided daily on the
college website.
Please direct all media inquiries to communications@hartnell.edu