Cybercriminal Leaks Student Information after Failing to Collect Ransom

Thousands of students from Clark County School District in Nevada had their private data published online after a cybercriminal was unable to coerce the district into payment after a ransomware attack.

It was reported back in early September that the school district’s computer systems had been infected with ransomware which had locked up access to all of their files.  At the time of the attack, it was assumed that employee’s personally identifiable information may have been exposed.  This included names and social security numbers. Students’ information was not mentioned in the initial report.

The Clark County School District requested the help from law enforcement officials and cyber forensic investigators, but it was not enough to prevent the leak of student data.  When the school district refused to pay the ransom, the data was published on an underground forum.

Brett Callow, a threat analyst for Emsisoft said that the student information on the forum includes student names, social security numbers, addresses, and financial information, although the type of financial information has not been disclosed.

Since the incident, the school district has released a statement saying:

"CCSD is working diligently to determine the full nature and scope of the incident and is cooperating with law enforcement. The District is unable to verify many of the claims in the media reports. As the investigation continues, CCSD will be individually notifying affected individuals.

CCSD values openness and transparency and will keep parents, employees, and the public informed as new, verified information becomes available."

Ransomware accounted for 41% of cyber insurance claims in the first half of 2020 and incidents have ranged from $1,000 or over $2,000,000.  If your school has been the subject of a ransomware attack, check out our story on 3 ways to recover from a ransomware attack by clicking here.

Story via ZDNet