Within the first week of beginning the 2020-2021 online school year, FCPS has already run into severe technological obstacles, this time in the form of a malicious spread of ransomware. Last Friday, FCPS announced a security breach in several of its technological systems, exposing access to sensitive data, including FCPS employees’ social security numbers. This type of malware is used to threatento publish stolen data, unless a ransom is paid.
FCPS has taken the situation seriously, and has even begun coordinating with the FBI, to evaluate the extent of the breach. “We currently believe we may have been victimized by cyber criminals who have been connected to dozens of ransomware attacks in other school systems and corporations worldwide.” FCPS said in a statement.
The attack has been claimed by the ransomware group MAZE, an organization that has already been involved in previous data hacks. Just earlier this year, the infamous group claimed responsibility for a similar hack targeting Lakeland Community College in Michigan.
FCPS, unfortunately, has been put in a position where they either refuse to pay the ransom and risk allowing all of that stolen information to be published online, or they can pay, and receive only an uncertain promise that the information won’t be released. The ransom levied against FCPS is no small amount either, likely between $150,000 and $250,000.
More and more US school districts are becoming targets for ransomware attacks as of late, with there being fifty-four major security incidents alone this year. Just this month, two other school districts and five local governments have fallen victim to these malicious attacks.
Now that FCPS has begun virtual learning for the year, the technological problems that continue to arise should be treated as a high priority, especially given the larger dependency on technological resources.
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