Los Angeles school district investigating major a ransomware attack on IT network

The Los Angeles Unified School District has launched an investigation into a data security incident that involved a threat actor infiltrating its network and stealing more than 10 gigabytes of data.

 

Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest school District in the U.S with more than 640,000 students at over 1,000 schools and employs more than 26,000 teachers. It is only second to the New York City Department of Education based on student population.

 

Recently, a threat actor going by the name "Satanic" claimed on BreachForums that they breached the school district’s internal network and stole several gigabytes of data. 

 

According to Dark Web Informer, the hacker is in possession of 11GB of data, including more than 26 million records with student information, over 24,000 teacher records, and around 500 staff data records. They have offered to sell the stolen database to interested buyers for $1,000.

 

To prove the authenticity of the stolen data, the hacker shared sample data that contained around 1,000 student records with Social Security Numbers, addresses, parent addresses, email addresses, contact information, and dates of birth.

 

Acknowledging the claims of the perpetrator, a LAUSD spokesperson told BleepingComputer that the school district is working with law enforcement and is investigating the claims.

 

“Los Angeles Unified has become aware of an account from a malicious actor purporting to offer certain district data for sale.

 

“The District is investigating the claim and engaging with law enforcement to investigate and respond to the incident. As always, we prioritize the privacy of our students, families and employees,” the spokesperson added.

 

In 2022, LAUSD also experienced a ransomware attack for which the Vice Society ransomware group claimed responsibility and threatened to publish stolen data online unless the school district paid a ransom.