Ryan Trowbridge, Sarah Guernelli, and Andrew Masse report that Chicopee Public Schools in Massachusetts was hit with a ransomware attack — specifically, Ryuk ransomware. The attacker(s) have demanded $300,000, but the district says they are not paying it and have been working to deal with the situation since Monday morning. Read more on Western Mass…
Category: Education Sector
Accidental data breach at Las Cruces Public Schools discloses vendor social security numbers
KVIA reports: Las Cruces Public Schools now confirms it accidentally sent out an email back in September containing the social security numbers of vendors the district uses. That email was sent to about 150 district employees, officials said. Vendors were advised to place a fraud alert on their credit files as a precaution. Those vendors…
Startup vulnerability leaves Queer Chart student data exposed
Paxton Scott reports: A security flaw allowed users of Queer Chart, a startup founded by Stanford students to link members of the campus queer community, to access all users’ names, profile pictures, email addresses, dates of birth, pronouns, schools and anonymous IDs, its founders have acknowledged. An anonymous ID is meant to allow a user…
Indian education institutions hit hard by hackers: Report
IANS reports: Education domain is one of the most “at-risk” industries in India, with the sector accounting for more than 30 per cent of cyber threats targeting enterprises in the country between July and September 2019, a new report from Seqrite, the enterprise arm of IT security firm Quick Heal Technologies, said on Wednesday. Other…
IL: Rockford Public Schools release details about ‘ransomware’ attack
WTVO reports: On Wednesday, Rockford Public Schools shared details about a devastating cyber attack the district suffered in September. The district continues to recover from the ransomware attack, a computer-based attack in which hackers install software on a remote computer system that encrypts files so the owners cannot access them without paying a ransom. According…
TX: PNGISD technology held for ransom
Mary Meaux reports: Port Neches-Groves Independent School District was hit by ransomware, causing the disruption of all technology connections on Tuesday. Assistant superintendent Julie Gauthier provided a statement about the cyber security attack, saying the district is working with local law enforcement and forensic and cyber security specialists to remedy the situation. Read more on…