Idaho Falls, ID — The College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) experienced a malware incident last week that prompted the college to proactively shut down its network systems as a precautionary measure.

The incident began when a student, using a personal laptop, accessed an external website that introduced malware into CEI’s network environment. CEI’s Information Technology (IT) team was actively monitoring and containing the threat. However, on Friday, the malicious actor escalated their efforts by launching a trojan horse attack. CEI responded quickly by shutting down its systems to prevent further intrusion and to protect the integrity of college data and infrastructure.

At this time, there is no evidence that any student or staff data has been breached. “Our top priority is the safety and security of our students, faculty, and institutional data,” said CEI President, Dr. Lori Barber. “We are working closely with cybersecurity experts and following all appropriate protocols and regulatory guidelines to fully eliminate the malware and restore system functionality.”

CEI has contingency plans in place to ensure that summer courses will proceed as scheduled. The college remains committed to maintaining academic continuity and supporting students and staff throughout this process.

The college does not yet have a definitive timeline for when full network functionality will be restored but will continue to provide timely updates as more information becomes available.

For questions or concerns, please contact College of Eastern Idaho’s CIO, Steve Brown at
steve.brown@cei.edu.