ISD 728 in Minnesota was hit with a ransomware attack on November 23. On December 23, they mailed notification letters to those potentially affected. A copy of the letter was submitted to the Montana Attorney General’s Office and is embedded below:
The district also posted a notice to families on their website:
Statement Released to Families Regarding Cyber Attack Incident
I hope that each and every one of you were able to enjoy the holiday weekend, share in a few laughs, and get some much needed rest.
I wanted to provide you with some information about a cybersecurity incident we have been navigating over the last few days so you have accurate information and also so that you understand there may be some disruption with our technology systems as we work to restore systems.
Technology teams have been working tirelessly over the last few days and will continue to do so until all systems are at 100%. Please let them know as you are able how much we appreciate them and their work, and be patient as we support all stakeholders. Here is some information about what we know this far:
- We recently discovered a cybersecurity incident that impacted our systems. Upon learning of the issue, we took immediate steps to protect our systems, including disconnecting certain functionality to protect against any further harm.
- We have commenced a thorough investigation in consultation with outside technical professionals. That investigation is in its early stages and is ongoing.
- We continue to work around the clock to resolve any disruption of systems and operations, which, out of an abundance of caution, may be offline periodically, and until we are confident that we can safely bring them back into service.
- We appreciate your understanding as we work through this issue. We will keep you apprised of relevant developments as the investigation continues.
- If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Daniel Bittman at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Dr. Dan Bittman
ISD 728 Superintendent
DataBreaches does not know what ransomware group is responsible or if there has been any negotiations (although it doesn’t sound like there has been).