Ransomware

Hackers targeting school systems was on the uptick even before COVID, with 348 publicly disclosed school cyberincidents in 2019. The reliance on digital learning has made them an even bigger target.

Several institutions in the state were indirectly affected by a ransomware attack against the global cloud software company Blackbaud. The company serves nonprofits, universities, foundations and other organizations.

Athens School District will pay hackers $50,000 in cryptocurrency after district servers and data were encrypted. The cyberattack delayed the start of the school year by at least another week.

Chilton County officials say they don’t yet know what information was compromised in the ransomware attack two weeks ago, but around 70 computers were targeted in the cyberincident.

As colleges and universities strive to protect their campuses from COVID-19, they must also pay attention to cyberattacks that target sensitive data, a cybersecurity expert warns.

Hackers claim they stole data from the Cooke County Sheriff’s Office and are threatening to publish it online if their demands are not met. Attacks of this kind are trending across the country.

While COVID-19 has made continuity of public services more critical than ever, it has also made them more vulnerable. A few guidelines can help organizations prepare for and prevent ransomware incidents.

Officials are increasing the cybersecurity stance of the borough after it fell victim to a ransomware attack in April. Protections include an additional layer of security with an onsite backup of its computers.

An Oregon city has paid out a ransom to hackers who took its computers hostage recently, becoming the latest in a recent string of communities to get caught in an apparent upsurge in cyberattacks.

The city was forced to take its network offline as a means of containing the malware attack after it was discovered Thursday morning. Officials say the incident is being investigated by state and federal authorities.

The ransomware attack against Rio Arriba County was first discovered earlier this week. The incident encrypted network servers, electronic files, and databases. The extent of damage is under investigation.

The Bernards Township, N.J., computer system was breached by a ransomware attack that was discovered Monday night that caused the township’s website to go offline, the mayor and administrator said.

System administrators discovered Friday that hackers had taken over a portion of the statewide court network and were demanding ransom before control of the system was restored. This is not the first such attack.

The widespread cyberattack came at the end of last week, plunging the state into response and recovery mode. At least 23 cities and towns are working with state and federal authorities to mitigate the damage.