DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Chambersburg Area School District answers some questions about ransomware attack, won’t say if they paid hackers

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Dissent

A statement and FAQ by the Chambersburg Area School District, as shared by TriState Alert, appears below.The district offers its reasons (translation: excuses) for not answering the questions parents and the public really want to know:  did the district pay ransom, and was personal information acquired by the attackers?

Although the district did not name the threat actors, BlackByte has claimed responsibility for the attack and posted proof of claims. Among the proof of claim screenshots are files with identifiable students’ personal information — including, in one case, an assessment report on a named student whose achievement testing and behavioral and emotional assessment report was displayed without redaction. Other proof of claim files showed named students and information on bus schedules and locations.

BlackByte has also already made more data from the district available for free download, but the download link was not working at the time DataBreaches attempted to use it. But given that they have already shown proof of acquiring some personal information on students, why won’t the district just admit this already, even if it does not yet know the full scope?

The district’s communication appears below:

Dear CASD Families & Staff,

Since our last Regular Board Meeting update, CASD’s response to this ransomware event has made significant progress and we share the following updates:

  • CASD students and staff returned to school on August 31st after three days of school closure. We restored access to critical educational resources and systems for our teachers in order to limit the impact to our students. Our next step was to reestablish our students’ in school 1-to-1 connection with their computer devices (laptops, Chrome books, etc.). We are grateful for the extra effort the teachers and students put in that allowed the education of our students to resume successfully while we worked towards this next step.
  • In addition to student computer devices being redeployed into service, our IT team has made significant strides in remediation and restoration efforts. Critical systems have been restored and access to the internet has been reinstated. The work towards 100% restoration is ongoing, but the vast majority of the systems that allow us to function normally are back in service.
  • We know that many questions remain, and members of our community want to know more information. In addition to re-securing a functioning network, we are actively investigating the extent to which any personal information may have been impacted in this incident. Although we do not know enough to report any specifics at this time, we expect to know more in the coming days, and will continue to work hard to address all aspects of this event.  Should we identify specific personal information has been or may have been compromised, we will take appropriate steps to identify and notify all such individuals.  As this process continues, we will continue to provide the community with updates.
  • The investigation of this event is still very much ongoing. We have retained data privacy attorneys at Mullen Coughlin LLC, and with them are working with computer forensic and incident response specialists.  Our goal remains to determine the full scope and nature of this event, while continuing to restore operations in a secure manner. We have also reported this matter to federal law enforcement and will continue to cooperate with all of these subject-matter specialists.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did CASD pay ransom?
On the advice of our counsel, in order to protect the integrity of the various ongoing investigations, we are not answering this question at this time.  We assure you that, CASD is working closely with counsel and law enforcement and taking appropriate action in response to this event.

Was Student/Personal data compromised?
The privacy of all of our data is certainly an extremely high priority.  At this time, this question remains under investigation.  As soon as we learn more on this question, to the extent any personal data has been impacted, we will be sure to take all appropriate steps to inform those affected.

When will you know more?
We certainly understand that you have more questions, as do we.  It is important that we provide accurate, helpful answers to the questions that remain.  Right now we do not have any specific timelines, but progress in our investigation, as well as the recovery, is being made every day.  We will continue to update the Board and community as this matter continues to be addressed.

Sincerely,

Dr. Larry Redding
Acting Superintendent
Chambersburg Area School District

Category: Education SectorMalwareOf NoteU.S.

Post navigation

← MGM Resorts incident: social engineering strikes again?
Caesars Entertainment paid millions to hackers in attacks →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • New evidence links long-running hacking group to Indian government
  • Zaporizhzhia Cyber ​​Police Exposes Hacker Who Caused Millions in Losses to Victims by Mining Cryptocurrency
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Google: Hackers target Salesforce accounts in data extortion attacks
  • The US Grid Attack Looming on the Horizon
  • US govt login portal could be one cyberattack away from collapse, say auditors
  • Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft and Computer Hacking Crimes
  • 100,000 UK taxpayer accounts hit in £47m phishing attack on HMRC
  • CISA Alert: Updated Guidance on Play Ransomware
  • Almost one year later, U.S. Dermatology Partners is still not being very transparent about their 2024 breach

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • How the FBI Sought a Warrant to Search Instagram of Columbia Student Protesters
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Malaysia enacts data sharing rules for public sector
  • U.S. Enacts Take It Down Act
  • 23andMe Bankruptcy Judge Ponders Trump Bill’s Injunction Impact
  • Hell No: The ODNI Wants to Make it Easier for the Government to Buy Your Data Without Warrant
  • US State Dept. says silence or anonymity on social media is suspicious

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.