The Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), which ASML heavily invests in as a source of future talent, halted classes after a cyberattack forced it to shut down its network. TU/e said the attack was first discovered on January 11, 2025, at around 9 p.m. local time. Its staff shut down the network because of suspicious activity on its servers. The team is still working to resolve the issue and secure the network, so classes have been canceled for Monday and Tuesday.
“We realize that switching off the network has serious consequences, for our students, employees, but also for other parties on campus,” says TU/e Vice President Patrick Groothuis. “This necessary intervention was done to prevent worse outcomes. We therefore hope for understanding, and we are doing our utmost to resolve this and have all systems accessible as soon as possible.”
Further complicating this issue is that the university exam period is expected to start next week. Therefore, the so-far two-day class cancelation will likely have a huge impact on the student population, and school administration is already working out considerations on how to go about teaching and student-related issues, like assignment submission and presentations. Nevertheless, the announcement also said that non-network related research and PhD defenses could occur during the network outage and that all labs and facilities are considered functional and safe.
At the moment, TU/e said that data hasn’t been stolen and that no one has claimed the cyberattack yet. It will release another statement today if classes can resume tomorrow, but employees and students looking for updates could reach out to the school via a WhatsApp helpdesk or visit the student desk at the university.
ASML has recently invested over $80 million at TU/e to upgrade its cleanroom and train PhD students. It also uses a few ASML lithography machines for research purposes, which even the wealthiest Chinese companies couldn’t get due to Washington, D.C.’s sanctions against the country. However, it’s unlikely that ASML conducts in-depth work at the university, so its secrets are probably still secure.
