After breaching the systems of the Los Angeles Unified School District and stealing sensitive information, the notorious Vice Society Ransomware gang has now published the stolen data on its data leak website.
LAUSD Officials confirmed that the data released by the threat actor was the same as the one stolen from the school. In a Twitter post shared by LAUSD superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho, the school promised to launch a new hotline for concerned parents.
The hotline number 855-926-1129 can connect the parents and students to school officials who will be able to answer the questions about the data leak and what measures need to be taken to prevent further damage.
LAUSD data leak by Vice Society Ransomware Gang
Thank you to our students, families and employees for doing their part in the ongoing recovery from this cyberattack. pic.twitter.com/K8VhiFmSbL
— Alberto M. Carvalho (@LAUSDSup) October 2, 2022
The hacker collective released the stolen data after the school officials reportedly denied any ransom to be given to the perpetrator.
On Friday, LAUSD released a statement mentioning the school’s preposition about the cyberattack and stated, “Los Angeles Unified remains firm that dollars must be used to fund students and education.”
The statement also elaborated on how the hackers take advantage of ransom and never fully guarantee any recovery of lost data. It noted that the money could be used for students instead of empowering a “nefarious and illicit crime syndicate.” The hacker group, the Vice Society gang, released the data on its data leak site and added a link for users to download the stolen data of the school.
Several cybersecurity firms like the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are aiding the school in responding to the attack. The hackers are equally fighting against the official by justifying their acts. In a statement released by the Vice Society gang, the hacker group said, “CISA wasted our time, we waste CISA reputation.”
As per sources, the leaked documents include confidential data about students and their psychological assessments, legal documents about the school, vendors and other third parties, business records, and data entries.
LAUSD has assured the parents, teachers, and students about the attack adding that they will provide “free credit monitoring services.” The school has notified the parents, teachers, students, and other employees against possible phishing campaigns that could use the data leaked by the threat actor.
