Ransomware, Content

Ransomware Attack: Cybercriminals Hit California School District

California's San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) has discovered that cybercriminals recently used ransomware to lock access to district files. The ransomware attack was launched against SBCUSD's computer servers, and these servers are currently inaccessible.

SBCUSD information technology staff notified law enforcement about the ransomware attack Saturday, the San Bernardino Sun reported. District officials are working to address the incident.

The SBCUSD ransomware attack affected the district's computer network. However, SBCUSD student and parent data is secure, and the district's nutrition services and transportation departments were unaffected by the ransomware attack.

SBCUSD student attendance is being logged manually following the ransomware attack. Also, SBCUSD school phone lines are working, but email communications with teachers and staff are currently unavailable.

Are Cybercriminals Targeting School Districts?

In addition to the SBCUSD ransomware attack, cybercriminals recently have launched several cyber attacks against school districts, including:

To date, cybercriminals have initiated at least 62 ransomware attacks against school districts this year, research from antimalware and antivirus software provider Emsisoft indicated. Emsisoft also noted that cybercriminals are increasing their ransoms and frequently using email and remote desktop protocol (RDP) attacks to target schools and other organizations.

Dan Kobialka

Dan Kobialka is senior contributing editor, MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E. He covers IT security, IT service provider business strategies and partner programs. Dan holds a M.A. in Print and Multimedia Journalism from Emerson College and a B.A. in English from Bridgewater State University. In his free time, Dan enjoys jogging, traveling, playing sports, touring breweries and watching football.