"After School Hacks, Ransomware Criminals Expose Kids' Private Files Online"

The sensitive documents that ransomware groups stole from schools and posted online describe student assaults, psychiatric hospitalizations, abusive parents, and more. Complete assault case folios containing this information were among the over 300,000 files released online in March after the 36,000-student Minneapolis Public Schools refused to pay a $1 million ransom. Other exposed data included medical records, complaints of discrimination, Social Security numbers, and employee contact information. Rich in digitized information, schools are ideal targets for cybercriminals seeking sensitive files that were once stored on paper in locked cabinets. School districts are often significantly ill-equipped to properly defend themselves and respond when attacked, especially as they struggle to help students recover from the pandemic and face shrinking budgets. This article continues to discuss the ransomware attack faced by the Minneapolis school system, why schools are an attractive target for hackers, and schools' cybersecurity struggle. 

PBS reports "After School Hacks, Ransomware Criminals Expose Kids' Private Files Online"