The Belleville, Michigan-based Van Buren Public School has been targeted in an alleged data breach orchestrated by the notorious Akira ransomware group. The threat actor has published a “blog” about the Van Buren Public School data breach on the dark web, claiming they possess the “juiciest information” about the public school, including sensitive data.
The Cyber Express has reached out to Van Buren Public School to verify the details of the alleged data breach as claimed by the threat actor. However, an official response was not available at the time of writing this report, leaving the authenticity of the claims unverified.
Van Buren Public School Data Breach Explained
The details of the data breach were published on the dark web leak portal of the Akira ransomware group on January 8, 2024. The information from the Van Buren Public School data breach contains details about students and their parents, the school’s human resource-related details, accounting and finance-related data, and some other files.
The ransomware group has stated in their “blog” that, “Your data is already gone and cannot be traced to the place of final storage nor deleted by anyone besides us”. It has also listed the commands required to access the information from the Van Buren Public School data breach and other similar databases from other breaches by Akira ransomware.
The group has written in its blog that they are shaming publicly, all those who choose a “different path”. Now what exactly is implied by this “different path” is still unsure. The blog further stated, “The functionality of this blog is extremely simple – enter the desired command in the input line and enjoy the juiciest information that corporations around the world wanted to stay confidential.”
Rise of Ransomware Attacks on US’ Schools
In 2023, the United States faced an increased trend of financially driven ransomware attacks. These attacks caused disruption to essential services and exposed the personal data of individuals. The education sector bore a substantial brunt of these cyberattacks.
At least 180 K-12, and post-secondary schools across the country suffered from the repercussions of ransomware incidents throughout the year. These cyberattacks not only directly affected schools’ operations but also had indirect consequences, impacting their supply chains and intensifying the challenges faced by educational institutions.
In 2022, 89 cyberattacks were directed toward K-12 and post-secondary schools in the US. This number doubled to 180 in the year 2023.
Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.
