EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

A Montana school district closed down for three days after hackers infiltrated the school district’s server. Claiming to be TheDarkOverlord, the group that was responsible for the Netflix breach, the attackers stole student and faculty records that included names, medical records, and addresses. In addition, the cyber criminals were also able to access Columbia Falls School District’s security cameras. A ransom note was sent to the school board, extorting officials to provide payment in bitcoin in exchange for the destruction of the stolen data.

Heightening the drama around the data breach was a side element that involved graphic threats being texted to parents.

Investigators have seen no evidence that attackers are who they say they are, nor that they are capable of following through on their threats. Nevertheless, by succeeding in shutting down an entire school district for three days, attackers have exercised a new way to hold a community hostage.

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