University of New Mexico cancels medical classes and disrupts hospital care following cyberattack

The University of New Mexico canceled classes across its medicine, nursing, and pharmacy faculties for a second consecutive day following an October 26 cyberattack on its Health Sciences Center. The incident prompted IT teams to shut down systems, temporarily divert incoming ambulances to alternative facilities in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and tell patients to avoid the main hospital while canceling appointments across more than 30 clinics. [1][2]

University leadership activated an Emergency Operations Center and notified both state and federal law enforcement alongside third-party investigators. Although hospital appointments and clinics have begun resuming normal operations, nonessential health center employees were instructed to work from home. [1]

While the university has not confirmed the exact nature of the intrusion, a newly formed group calling itself BYOD claimed responsibility for the raid. The gang alleges it compromised 36,000 machines, two Active Directory forests, two Oracle databases, and personal records spanning all students and staff, though their assertions remain unverified. [1]