Hackers Compromise 500GB Of Data In This Education Hack

Anusuya Lahiri
·2 min read

  • Hackers released a cache of data stolen during a cyberattack against the Los Angeles Unified School District, seen as the most significant education breach in recent years.

  • Vice Society, a Russian-speaking group known for targeting schools and the education sector, claimed responsibility for the ransomware attack last month, TechCrunch reports.

  • The hack disrupted the LAUSD's access to email, computer systems and applications and published the data stolen from the school district over the weekend.

  • The group had previously set an Oct. 4 deadline to pay an unspecified ransom demand.

  • The hackers posted the stolen data to Vice Society's dark web leak site and appeared to contain personal identifying information, including passport details, Social Security numbers and tax forms.

  • The published data also contained confidential information, including contract and legal documents, financial reports containing bank account details and health information.

  • The LAUSD reportedly lost 500GB of files.

  • Just hours before the public release of the stolen data, LAUSD confirmed it would not pay Vice Society's undisclosed ransom demand.

  • LAUSD is the second largest district in the U.S., with more than 1,000 schools and 600,000 students.

  • According to a threat analyst, the Vice Society ransomware gang has attacked at least eight other U.S. school districts, colleges and universities in 2022.

  • The CISA and FBI previously warned the gang, saying Vice Society disproportionately targeted the education sector with ransomware attacks.

  • Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL)-owned Google researchers found growing evidence of pro-Russian hackers and online activists working with the country's military intelligence agency.

  • Russia reportedly sought China's military ​equipment to ​support its invasion of Ukraine.

  • Uber Technologies, Inc (NYSE: UBER) held the Lapsus$ group responsible for its recent hack, forcing it to shut down some internal systems temporarily.

  • Lapsus$ was held responsible for the hacks of Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA) and the recent attack on game developer Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc (NASDAQ: TTWO)-owned Rockstar Games.

 

See more from Benzinga

Don't miss real-time alerts on your stocks - join Benzinga Pro for free! Try the tool that will help you invest smarter, faster, and better.

© 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.