Zürcher Nachrichten - University of Leipzig IT Infrastructure Paralyzed by Cyberattack

The University of Leipzig is operating under a severe IT crisis after a cyberattack paralyzed its digital infrastructure. Rector Eva Inés Obergfell confirmed that the university’s information technology systems were targeted last week, affecting the entire network.

Although a crisis management team has been established to address the breach, Obergfell stated in a message posted on an improvised website that full restoration is not imminent. She warned the university community to prepare for a prolonged disruption, noting it could take weeks before all systems are back online and functioning optimally.

The outage has halted critical academic operations. The university homepage remains inaccessible, and core services such as email servers, course registration portals, grade entry systems, and e-learning platforms are down. Students attempting to access library resources have also been blocked; both the ordering and lending of media are currently suspended.

Operational difficulties extend beyond academics. The university card validation system, which is required for payments in campus dining facilities, is non-functional. Despite these widespread technical failures, the university maintains its standard curriculum and attendance requirements for staff. Only students writing house or final thesis papers have been granted extended submission deadlines.

Obergfell addressed staff and students directly in her statement, emphasizing that while the institution works to resolve the issues, the community must adapt to the current limitations. The situation has left the university’s digital presence effectively dormant, with communication relying on temporary measures rather than official channels.

H.Roth--NZN