{"id":5135,"date":"2022-05-12T08:27:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-12T13:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kraftgrp.com\/157-year-old-lincoln-college-succumbed-to-a-ransomware-attack\/"},"modified":"2022-10-07T06:49:15","modified_gmt":"2022-10-07T11:49:15","slug":"157-year-old-lincoln-college-succumbed-to-a-ransomware-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kraftgrp.com\/157-year-old-lincoln-college-succumbed-to-a-ransomware-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"157-Year-Old Lincoln College Succumbed To A Ransomware Attack"},"content":{"rendered":"
On May 13th, 2022, a college that has remained open through two world wars, the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, and the Great Depression will close its doors. The college has been struggling to stay afloat in recent years, and the coronavirus pandemic and a recent ransomware attack have dealt a fatal blow.<\/p>\n
The college\u2019s closure will be a significant loss for the community, as it has been a source of education and employment for many generations. The college\u2019s decision to close is a sign of the times, as more and more colleges face financial difficulties due to the pandemic.<\/p>\n
It is an unfortunate reality that the long-standing institution will soon be no more.<\/p>\n
Lincoln College \u2014 a historically Black college in rural central Illinois that broke ground on President Abraham Lincoln\u2019s birthday in 1865 \u2014 tried but failed to raise enough money to recover from the combined impact of COVID-19 and a December cyber attack, David Gerlach<\/a>, the college\u2019s president, said in a statement.<\/p>\n The college had hoped to use the funds to cover expenses related to the pandemic and the cyberattack, which shut down the school\u2019s computer systems and caused \u201csignificant financial losses.\u201d According to Gerlach, the college has made some progress in restoring its systems, but it is still facing \u201cmajor challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n He did not say how much money the school was seeking or where the funds would come from. The news comes as many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are struggling to stay afloat amid the pandemic. Earlier this month, Maryland\u2019s Bowie State University <\/a>announced laying off more than 100 employees.<\/p>\n