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Syracuse schools’ cyber attack is ransomware
From: Destry Winant <destry () riskbasedsecurity com>
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2019 09:00:25 -0500
https://www.syracuse.com/news/2019/07/syracuse-schools-cyber-attack-is-ransomware.html Ransomware caused the Syracuse City School District’s week-long computer outage, a source said. The district’s internet has had systemwide outages since an “event” early Monday morning, officials said. Officials released little information about the investigation and cause of the computer outages. In a statement Friday afternoon, a spokesman said an “attack froze the district from accessing our own systems." Ransomware attacks have increasingly plagued school districts nationwide in recent years. They work by encrypting a victim’s data and files until a sum is paid to the attacker. The Syracuse schools’ system has not yet been restored in part because hackers have demanded a ransom, and the district has not yet decided whether to pay, a source familiar with the investigation told syracuse.com. The ransom could be in the six figures and officials are concerned it will continue to grow, the source said. The unknown hackers’ demands keep increasing as the district misses deadlines for payment, the source said. The district will now likely have to decide whether to take its insurance company’s advice -- pay the ransom now, before it continues to grow larger -- or listen to FBI officials, who are apparently discouraging the district from cooperating with hackers, according to the source. The source also said officials are concerned an internet outage at the Onondaga County Public Libraries could be connected to the attack on the district. County officials could not be reached for comment Friday evening. An FBI spokeswoman said she could not comment. She said the FBI does not confirm or deny its involvement in any case. School district officials have also declined to provide information aside from two statements released this week. A district spokesman said the district had received advice not to say anything further until a forensic audit could be completed. In a recent high-profile case, the city of Baltimore was attacked by ransomware. The city refused to pay a ransom. The case ended up costing the city more than $18 million, The Baltimore Sun reported. Similar attacks have happened to school districts in Connecticut, Texas,and Massachusetts. _______________________________________________ BreachExchange mailing list sponsored by Risk Based Security BreachExchange () lists riskbasedsecurity com If you wish to Edit your membership or Unsubscribe you can do so at the following link: https://lists.riskbasedsecurity.com/listinfo/breachexchange
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- Syracuse schools’ cyber attack is ransomware Destry Winant (Jul 15)