Ransomware gang demands £500,000 from school
Ransomware operators are requiring £500,000 after a cyberattack against Wooton Upper School in Bedfordshire.
The ransomware attack which was the work of the Hive ransomware group, also affected the Kimberley college for 16-19-year-olds. Both of these organizations are part of the Wootton Academy Trust.
The ransomware operators messaged students and parents, informing them that they had compromised the Trust’s networks several weeks ago.
In an update on July 26, the Trust said that the disruption to its operations was limited as it was winding down for the summer break. The Trust has affected scheduling for next year, along with the production of some grade sheets. It will retrieve some data from backups, it added, and hopes to resume normal operations within 10 days.
However, the Hive group believes that the Wooton Academy Trust has £500,000 in cyber insurance, according to local newspaper Bedford Today. It has threatened to release all of the data unless the Trust pays up.
In the same time, Italy’s postal police is investigating whether ransomware operators gained access to the personal information from the country’s tax agency Sogei SpA, according to media.