Pierce College open but systems down as school’s probe of ‘service disruption’ continues
Pierce College’s electronic systems were down Wednesday, interrupting certain online services although classes were running as scheduled, according to the school, which has been investigating “a service disruption” it identified more than a week ago.
It wasn’t explicitly clear whether the college had sustained a cyberattack, and messages left with the college were not immediately returned, apparently because employee email and phone lines were temporarily unavailable. In a notice updated Wednesday on its website, the school said issues first arose last week.
“On July 24, Pierce College detected a service disruption which required us to take certain computer systems offline,” the college said. “We are still investigating the disruption and are working to restore the systems to operation as quickly and as safely as possible.”
The school noted that employee email, phones, WiFi and other network-based systems were unavailable, including access to OneDrive and Office365, and cautioned employees against using any college-issued device or downloading any files.
“As always, it is preferable to view in your browser rather than download the file,” the school said.
Pierce College is the largest college district in Pierce County, serving more than 13,500 students each year, with campuses in Lakewood and Puyallup, according to its website.
In a notice to students on the college’s website, the school said that online services were still available, including student email, with the exception of a student success program called Starfish. Financial aid, cashiering and libraries were also open, although e-books, articles and streaming videos were unavailable and access to computers and WiFi were limited in libraries and computer labs.
This story was originally published August 2, 2023 at 2:53 PM.
