Charleston County School District Hit by Major Ransomware Attack
Incident Date:
August 19, 2024
Overview
Title
Charleston County School District Hit by Major Ransomware Attack
Victim
Charleston County School District
Attacker
Ransomhub
Location
First Reported
August 19, 2024
Charleston County School District Targeted by RansomHub Ransomware Attack
The Charleston County School District (CCSD), a prominent educational institution in South Carolina, has fallen victim to a ransomware attack orchestrated by the RansomHub group. The attack has resulted in the exfiltration of 966 GB of data, with the threat of public disclosure looming.
About Charleston County School District
CCSD is the second-largest school district in South Carolina, serving approximately 56,000 students across 88 schools. The district is a significant employer in Charleston County, with a workforce of around 5,082 employees. CCSD is known for its diverse educational offerings, including advanced academic tracks, vocational training, and support services for students with disabilities. The district's commitment to equitable access to quality education makes it a cornerstone of the local community.
Attack Overview
The ransomware attack was first detected on July 16, when the district experienced a network outage due to suspicious activity. Despite the disruption, classes resumed as scheduled on August 13. RansomHub has threatened to publish the stolen data within the next few days. CCSD has confirmed the breach and is working with forensic experts to investigate the incident and implement additional security measures. The district has advised students and employees to be vigilant against potential phishing attempts and to monitor their accounts for suspicious activity.
About RansomHub
RansomHub is a relatively new ransomware group believed to have roots in Russia. Operating as a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) group, RansomHub affiliates receive 90% of the ransom money, with the remaining 10% going to the main group. The group has targeted various countries, including the US, Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam, with a particular focus on healthcare-related institutions. RansomHub's ransomware strains are written in Golang, a trend that is becoming more common in the ransomware world.
Potential Vulnerabilities
Educational institutions like CCSD are increasingly becoming targets for ransomware attacks due to their extensive data repositories and often limited cybersecurity resources. The district's large network of schools and employees presents multiple entry points for threat actors. The use of outdated software, lack of regular security training, and insufficient cybersecurity measures can make such institutions vulnerable to sophisticated ransomware attacks.
Sources
Recent Ransomware Attacks
The Recent Ransomware Attacks (RRA) site acts as a watchtower, providing you with near real-time ransomware tracking of attacks, groups and their victims. Given threat actors’ overarching, lucrative success so far, ransomware attacks have become the most ubiquitous, and financially and informationally impactful cyber threat to businesses and organizations today.
The site’s data is generated based on hosting choices of real-world threat actors, and a handful of other trackers. While sanitization efforts have been taken, we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of the data. Attack updates will be made as source data is reported by reputable sources. By viewing, accessing, or using RRA you acknowledge you are doing so at your own risk.