Cape Cod Academy Hit by RansomHub Ransomware Attack
Incident Date:
September 18, 2024
Overview
Title
Cape Cod Academy Hit by RansomHub Ransomware Attack
Victim
Cape Cod Academy
Attacker
Ransomhub
Location
First Reported
September 18, 2024
RansomHub Ransomware Attack on Cape Cod Academy
On September 18, 2024, Cape Cod Academy (CCA), a private college preparatory school in Osterville, Massachusetts, became the latest victim of a ransomware attack orchestrated by the notorious RansomHub group. The attack resulted in a significant data breach, with 616GB of sensitive information exfiltrated and encrypted.
About Cape Cod Academy
Cape Cod Academy is an independent, co-educational day school serving students from kindergarten through grade 12. Established in 1976, the academy operates on a 46-acre campus and emphasizes a personalized educational experience designed to foster academic excellence and holistic development. The school is known for its small class sizes, averaging 12 students per class, and a high college acceptance rate, with 100% of graduates being accepted into four-year colleges. Approximately 83% of the faculty hold advanced degrees, contributing to a high level of academic instruction.
Attack Overview
The ransomware attack on Cape Cod Academy was discovered on September 18, 2024. The threat actor group RansomHub claimed responsibility for the attack via their dark web leak site. The breach resulted in the exfiltration and encryption of 616GB of data, significantly impacting the school's operations. The attack highlights the vulnerabilities educational institutions face, particularly those with valuable data and critical operations.
About RansomHub
RansomHub is a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) group that emerged in February 2024. The group quickly gained notoriety for its aggressive affiliate model and double extortion tactics, which involve encrypting victims' data and exfiltrating sensitive information for additional leverage in ransom demands. RansomHub is known for its speed and efficiency, targeting a wide range of cross-platform systems, including Windows, Linux, and ESXi.
Penetration and Methodology
RansomHub affiliates primarily use phishing campaigns, vulnerability exploitation, and password spraying to gain initial access to target systems. In the case of Cape Cod Academy, the group likely exploited unpatched systems or used phishing techniques to infiltrate the network. Once inside, they conducted network reconnaissance, escalated privileges, and exfiltrated data before encrypting files. The group's ransomware is optimized to encrypt large datasets quickly, using Curve 25519 elliptic curve encryption to generate unique keys per victim.
Impact and Implications
The attack on Cape Cod Academy underscores the growing threat of ransomware to educational institutions. With a focus on high-value targets, RansomHub's operations continue to expand, posing significant risks to organizations across various sectors. The breach at CCA serves as a stark reminder of the importance of effective cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and maintain operational integrity.
Sources
Recent Ransomware Attacks
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