A UK institution in Bedfordshire named the Wooton Upper School has been hit with a ransomware attack in which the attackers demanded over $500,000 in payment. The attack is believed to be the work of the notorious Hive ransomware group. The attack impacted two schools, both of which members of the Wooton Academy Trust. According to reports, the notorious cybercrime group messaged students and parents to inform them of the attack. The notification stated that bank details, address, medical records, and students’ psychological reviews were stolen in the attack.
The Wooton Academy Trust stated that its operations were limited due to the summer break and did not verify whether the information released by the Hive ransomware group was legitimate. The ransomware attack has impacted scheduling for the upcoming school year, including the production of grade sheets. The school hopes to be back to normal operations within the next week and a half. During this time, the Trust will continue to investigate the issue so it may confirm whether the data was actually stolen i the attack. If the Hive group’s statements are true, the security incident could have serious affects given the sensitive nature of the data.
