hiveleak attacks School District Of Janesville
Incident Date:
March 22, 2022
Overview
Title
hiveleak attacks School District Of Janesville
Victim
School District Of Janesville
Attacker
Hiveleak
Location
First Reported
March 22, 2022
Ransomware Attack on School District of Janesville
Overview of the Incident
The School District of Janesville, situated in Wisconsin, recently fell victim to a ransomware attack orchestrated by the group known as Hiveleak. This incident was disclosed on their dark web leak site. The district, which plays a pivotal role in the community by offering a plethora of services such as summer school, employment opportunities, and IT support, was targeted in October 2021.
Impact and Response
The ransomware attack led to the encryption of the district's servers and network resources, disrupting the operations and services relied upon by students, staff, and parents. Despite the attack, it was reported that no data was accessed or destroyed. In response, the School District of Janesville has engaged with the Wisconsin Division of Enterprise Technology, the FBI, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. These agencies are providing assistance in investigating the attack and facilitating the recovery of the affected systems.
Financial Implications and Insurance Coverage
One critical aspect of the district's response strategy includes leveraging its cyber insurance policy to offset the financial burden of the attack. The incident highlights the importance for educational institutions to thoroughly understand their insurance coverage and ensure it adequately protects against cyber threats.
Preventative Measures
The attack on the School District of Janesville serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of educational institutions to ransomware threats. It underscores the necessity for proactive measures, such as regular system backups, purging obsolete technology, and educating staff and students on the risks of phishing attempts.
Sources
- FBI Cyber Division. "Ransomware Awareness for Holidays and Weekends." Available at: https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2021/PSA210702
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "Stop Ransomware." Available at: https://www.cisa.gov/stopransomware
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. "School District of Janesville." Available at: https://dpi.wi.gov/
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.