RansomHub Ransomware Breach Exposes 20GB of Data at UK Primary School
Incident Date:
August 17, 2024
Overview
Title
RansomHub Ransomware Breach Exposes 20GB of Data at UK Primary School
Victim
Martins Wood Primary School
Attacker
Ransomhub
Location
First Reported
August 17, 2024
RansomHub Ransomware Attack on Martins Wood Primary School
Martins Wood Primary School, a prominent educational institution in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, has recently fallen victim to a ransomware attack orchestrated by the cybercriminal group RansomHub. The attack, discovered on August 19, resulted in the exfiltration and subsequent leak of 20GB of sensitive data from the school's website, martinswood.herts.sch.uk.
About Martins Wood Primary School
Martins Wood Primary School serves approximately 607 students aged 2 to 11 years and operates under the Ivy Learning Trust. The school is known for its commitment to creating an enriching learning environment, supported by impressive facilities and a dedicated staff. With a capacity for 780 pupils, the school emphasizes inclusivity and supports families from diverse backgrounds, as evidenced by the significant proportion of students eligible for free school meals.
Attack Overview
The ransomware attack on Martins Wood Primary School was executed by RansomHub, a relatively new but increasingly notorious ransomware group. The attack led to the compromise of 20GB of data, which was subsequently leaked on RansomHub's dark web site. The data breach has raised significant concerns about the security measures in place at educational institutions, particularly those catering to young children.
About RansomHub
RansomHub is a ransomware group believed to have roots in Russia, operating as a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) entity. Affiliates of the group receive 90% of the ransom payments, with the remaining 10% going to the main group. RansomHub has targeted various sectors across multiple countries, including the US, Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Their ransomware strains are written in Golang, a programming language gaining popularity among cybercriminals for its efficiency and versatility.
Penetration and Vulnerabilities
While the specific method of penetration used by RansomHub in this attack remains unclear, common vulnerabilities in educational institutions include outdated software, insufficient cybersecurity training, and inadequate network defenses. These weaknesses can be exploited by sophisticated ransomware groups like RansomHub, leading to significant data breaches and operational disruptions.
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.