CNN reports that Nantucket Public Schools in Massachusetts had its safety and security systems, as well as student and staff devices, shut down following a ransomware attack, which also prompted the early dismissal of 1,700 students.
"No school-issued devices should be used at home until further notice, as it could compromise home networks," said Nantucket Public Schools Superintendent Elizabeth Hallet in an email sent to parents.
The incident comes only days after a ransomware attack impacted the Tucson Unified School District and while TUSD officials have yet to provide comment, there has been no evidence indicating an association between both events.
"The ransomware attacks on school districts across the country are a stark reminder that as a country we need to ensure our citizens are cyber literate. Cybersecurity education is a national security issue and we must educate our country on protecting our most critical infrastructure from malicious attacks," said Cyber Innovation Center Vice President Kevin Nolten.
BleepingComputer reports that multinational building automation conglomerate Johnson Controls had its operations, as well as those of its subsidiaries, disrupted by a significant ransomware attack claimed by the Dark Angels ransomware operation over the weekend that compromised its VMware ESXi servers and various other devices.
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, which manages the country's universal healthcare system, had its websites and portals disrupted by a Medusa ransomware attack last week, from which it is struggling to recover, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony has begun an investigation into an alleged cyberattack, which was reported to have resulted in the exposure of 3.14 GB of data in hacking forums, amid the emergence of different attackers claiming to be behind the hack, according to BleepingComputer.