Eindhoven University step by step back on its digital network - teaching and exams moved up a week

TU Eindhoven (TU/e) has decided to postpone exams by one week. “We expect, with a disclaimer, that next Monday, the networked systems for students will be sufficiently available again,” said a spokesperson. Those systems were inaccessible due to a cyber attack. The decision should give students and faculty clarity and sufficient time to prepare for exams and complete assignments on time.

TU/e is busy implementing the recovery plan to keep the network and systems safe and online. In the coming days, parts of the network are expected to be gradually returned online, making systems available again.

Patrick Groothuis, vice president of TU/e and chairman of the Central Crisis Team: “We have weighed everything extensively, it was not an easy decision. For us, the student interests come first; they should be affected as little as possible. And for clarity, this is the best scenario. At the same time, we realize that the decision also impacts our faculty and other staff, who will have to do a lot of extra work.”

Today, the wifi network is available again on the TU/e campus. It is expected to take weeks before all functionality is fully restored.

As is customary, the TU/e is conducting an external investigation into the cyber-attack to determine whether everything surrounding the cyber-attack was handled according to agreements and protocols. To this end, everything from the start of the attack has been carefully recorded.