Hilary Matheson reports: Bigfork School District will not submit to ransom demands after the district’s computer network was compromised over the weekend by ransomware. Information technology staff have been working to recover computer files and remove the malicious software, which encrypted and locked files from being opened. It’s often the case that ransomware is not…
Category: Education Sector
18-Year-Old “Computer Genius” Charged with Launching DDoS Attacks
Catalin Cimpanu reports: US authorities charged Michaela Gabriella King, 18, of Murrysville, Pennsylvania with launching multiple DDoS attacks against Franklin Regional High School, the school she was attending. According to investigators, King used the BetaBooter DDoS stressor to launch DDoS attacks on her’s school’s network, from her home computer, her mobile phone, but most of…
“KYAnonymous” pleads guilty in Steubenville case
Bill Estep reports: A computer hacker who lived in Clark County and used the online name KYAnonymous has admitted he illegally accessed a computer to get involved in a notorious 2012 rape case in Steubenville, Ohio. Deric Lostutter, 29, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to hack a website associated with Steubenville High School athletics and…
Michigan State University confirms data breach of server containing 400,000 student, staff records (Updated)
WXYZ reports: Michigan Sate University is confirming that someone breached a database that contains around 400,000 records containing personal information. The breach happened on November 13. According to MSU, that information “included names, Social Security numbers, MSU identification numbers, and in some cases, date of birth of some current and former students and employees. It…
Buffalo Public Schools exposed more than 4,000 records with students’ and parents’ personal information [DISPUTED]
Update: This report has been disputed. BPS claims that their IT department says “this is a dummy test page with no real information.” DataBreaches.net notes that the file was more than 100 pages, populated with information. One record on the first page did appear to be test or dummy data, but because DataBreaches.net did not…
UK: KCL staff offered emotional support, clergy chat to help get over data loss
This might seem more appropriate on Saturday Night Live as a skit, except that it’s not a joke. Alexander J. Martin reports that King’s College London is offering its staff “counseling and prayers to help them get over the data loss suffered during October’s catastrophic IT failure.” The latest missive from management, which stresses it is “particularly mindful”…