Carvalho M. Alberto, the Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), has had some of his online data released after a ransomware attack. This attack, carried out by cybercriminals, targeted the second largest school district in the nation – Los Angeles.
“Regrettably, as anticipated, information was recently unveiled by a felonious group,” stated the tweet. “Our specialists are examining the complete scope of this information disclosure, in collaboration with law enforcement.”
According to the tweet, a helpline has been established to aid individuals who have inquiries or require assistance.
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The leak supposedly came as federal officials warned that ransomware attacks on US schools may increase, revealing CNN’s report on cybercriminals exploiting opportunities for extortion and urging the return of children to school.
The district did not disclose whether it knows what data may be impacted. LAUSD said in an earlier statement that it is working with law enforcement to determine whom it belongs to and what information was impacted.
The school district announced the response from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in addition to what it referred to as a noteworthy ransomware attack during the Labor Day weekend last month.
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has not revealed the amount of money requested by the criminal group.
As per a tally conducted by cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, this attack marks the fiftieth instance in the current year targeting the education industry in the United States.
As per the announcement, credit surveillance services will be offered. The region stated that staff health insurance or salary information did not seem to be affected and assured that unspecified “security and emergency measures are still in operation.”
The district stated, “When necessary, we will keep you informed and inform you if your personal information affects our school community and partners.”
The district stated that instead of allocating public funds to our students, they are yielding to a malevolent and illegal crime syndicate, which does not ensure the complete retrieval of data. The investigation is still in progress.
In order to enhance telecommunication capabilities, the initiative assists educational institutions and libraries in obtaining broadband connectivity. The educational district expressed its collaboration with leaders in education and technology to urge the Federal Communications Commission to promptly approve the utilization of E-Rate Program funds for fortifying the IT security infrastructure.
Ransomware incidents targeting educational institutions are becoming increasingly prevalent.
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In May, a predominantly Black college in Illinois was forced to close due to the fallout and decrease in admissions caused by a ransomware attack on its computer systems.
Adults who are authorized to pick up students and students who need emergency contact information are affected by a hack on the school system in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The attack occurred in January, forcing the public school system to close for two days.
The software vendor, which experienced another ransomware attack in January, had its websites of approximately 5,000 schools, primarily in the United States, affected.