Panama Buena Vista School District gets hit with ransomware attack

Panama Buena Vista School District gets hit with ransomware attack

TONIGHT HACKERS ARE HOLDINGPANAMA BUENA VISTASCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENT REPORTCARDS HOSTAGE --AND NOW THEFBI AND HOMELAND SECURITY AREINVESTIGATINGTHE RANSOMEWEAR ATTACK TODETERMINE WHATOTHER INFORMATION MAY HAVE BEENCOMPROMISED.23ABC'S TORI COOPER WAS AT ASCHOOL DISTRICT PRESSCONFERENCE EARLIER TODAY ANDJOINS US IN STUDIO WITHWHAT'S BEING DONE TO PROTECTSTUDENT ANDSTAFF INFORMATION TORI?YES,PANAMA BUENA VISTA SCHOOLDISTRICT OFFICIALS SAYTHEY WERE HIT WITH AN AGGRESSIVERANSOMEWAREATTACK LAST FRIDAY THAT SHUTDOWN PHONES AND OTHER TECHSYSTEMS ACROSS THE DISTRICTSNETWORK-- BUT OFFICIALS SAYTHEY HAVE NO PLANS ON PAYING THERANSOME TO GET STUDENTINFORMATION BACK AS OF NOW.--- A SIMPLE CLICK MAY HAVE BEENTHE SOURCE OF A RANSOMWAREATTACK ON THE ENTIRE PANAMABUENA VISTA SCHOOL DISTRICT)"THE FORENSIC TEAMS WILL TELL USEXACTLYTHAT, BUT WE BELIEVE IT'SSOMETHING SOMEONE DID COMPLETELYUNINTENTIONALLY PERHAPSDOWNLOADING SOMETHING ORCLICKING ON A LINK BUT WE DON'TKNOW FORSURE." SCHOOL DISTRICTOFFICIALS SAY JANUARY 9TH THEYWERE HITWITH A CYBER ATTACK CAUSING ATECHNOLOGY AND PHONE OUTAGESAT MULTIPLE SCHOOLS ACROSS THEDISTRICT.AND PARENTS WERE NOTFIED RIGHTAWAY BY EMAIL."WE ARE NOT ALLOWING ACCESS TOOUR AUTHORIZED USERS UNTIL WEARE 100 PERCENT SURE IT IS SAFETO DO SO."THE FBI SAYS ---RANSOMEWARE ISFORM OF A MALWAREDESIGNED TO TARGET TECH SYSTEMSAND CRITICAL DATAINFORMATION WITHINORGANIZATIONS.THE INFECTED MALWARE CAN BE INAN EMAIL OR A SIMPLE LINK-- ANDIF A USER CLICKS ON THE WRONGOPTION THE HACKERS CANACCESS AND WITHHOLD INFORMATIONAND DEMAND FOR ARANSOM PAYMENT IN ORDER FOR THEORGANIZATION TO GET THEINFORMATION BACK--IN THIS CASEDISTRICT OFFICIALS SAYSTUDENT REPORT CARDS ARE BEINGHELD HOSTAGE."REPORT CARD GRADES THAT SHOULDBE GOING OUT TODAY THAT WILL BEDELAYED AND WE HAVE NOTIFIEDTHEM ABOUTTHAT.."TRICKBOT HAS BEEN DETERMINED TOBE THE HACKERRESPONSIBLE.DISTRICT OFFICIALS TELLINGPARENTS THEY SHOULDN'TEXPECT TO SEE STUDENT GRADES ANYSOONER THAN THE END OFTHE MONTH--BUT THAT THE FBI'SPREIMINARY INVESTIGATIONSHOWS NO IDICATION THAT ANYPERSONAL IDENTIFYINGINFORMATION RELATING TO STUDENTSOR STAFF HAVE BEENCOMPROMISED AS OF NOW.SOME PARENTS SOUNDING OFF IN THECOMMENTS ON OUR POSTABOUT THE INCIDENT --EXPRESSINGCONCERNDISTRICT OFFICIALS NOW TAKINGSTEPS TO ENSURE THISDOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN AND THATTHEIR NETWORK IS SECURE.TAKING STEPS TO HARDEN THESECURITY TO MAKE OUR SYSTEMSMORE SECURE AND MORE ROBUSTNOW THE INVESTIGATION INTO THEATTACK IS STILL UNGOINGAND WE WILLCONTINUE TO NOTIFYYOU AS MOREINFORMATION BECOME AVAILABLE BUTLOCAL COMPUTER EXPERTS AT LANPROHERE INBAKERSFIELD TELL 23ABC NEWS THISIS A GREAT REMINDER FORALL NETWORK USERS TO CREATESTRONG PASSWORDS,ENABLE VIRUS AND MALEWAREPROTECTION AND ALWAYS INSTALLTWO FORMS OF AUTHENTIFICATIO NTO ENSURE YOURINFORMATION IS SAFE.FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TOPROTECT YOURSELF FROM SIMILARATTACKS HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE TURNTO 23 DOT COMNOW TO NEW DETAILS IN A DEADLYCRASH THAT HAPPENED