On Tuesday, schools on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, were forced to shut down as a result of a ransomware attack. The closure impacted four establishments serving roughly 1700 students. Nantucket district superintendent Elizabeth Hallett announced the decision via email, stating that the district’s technology department was working to restore computers and internet service. The schools were shut down on February 1, however, all athletic practices and games continued as scheduled.
School districts have been an attractive target for threat actors, and there have been several targeted in recent months. The primary motivations for attacking school districts arise from the vulnerability of their IT systems and ability to pay extortion demands.
Read More: Ransomware Attack Forces Closure of Nantucket Schools