vicesociety attacks Lufkin Independent School District
Incident Date:
January 6, 2022
Overview
Title
vicesociety attacks Lufkin Independent School District
Victim
Lufkin Independent School District
Attacker
Vicesociety
Location
First Reported
January 6, 2022
Lufkin Independent School District Targeted by Ransomware Group ViceSociety
The Lufkin Independent School District (ISD) in Lufkin, Texas, has been targeted by the ransomware group ViceSociety, as claimed on the group's dark web leak site. The district, which operates in the Education sector, serves a range of primary, elementary, and secondary schools, catering to students between 5-18 years of age throughout the community.
In 2021, Lufkin ISD was already hit by a major ransomware attack, with hackers based in the Netherlands gaining control of four security camera servers, accessing, moving, and encrypting data from the district’s virtual servers. The attack resulted in the theft of sensitive data belonging to 11,000 of the district’s staff and students, as well as the loss of control over functions such as air conditioning, registration, and grade administration. The hackers demanded $1.5 million in bitcoin to restore access.
Following the 2021 attack, Lufkin ISD underwent a comprehensive review of its systems to protect against cyber risks, focusing on strengthening its security posture and implementing proactive measures. The district hired a cybersecurity analyst to review the Dell Managed Detection and Response dashboard each day, collaborating with Dell to remediate any issues that may arise.
Despite these efforts, the district has once again fallen victim to a ransomware attack, this time by the ViceSociety group. The size and impact of this latest attack are not yet clear, but it is a concerning development for the district, which has already experienced the devastating consequences of a ransomware attack in the recent past.
The Lufkin ISD serves a significant number of students and staff, making it a valuable target for threat actors. The district's vulnerabilities in the face of these attacks may include outdated security protocols, insufficient employee training, or a lack of robust monitoring and response capabilities.
As the investigation into this latest attack continues, it is crucial for Lufkin ISD to learn from its past experiences and implement comprehensive security measures to protect its students, staff, and sensitive data from future threats.
Sources
Recent Ransomware Attacks
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