Ransomware

A school district in Pennsylvania canceled classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week while it investigates and isolates a ransomware virus, which did not appear to have come from a local source.

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority has said it found an intrusion Nov. 21 and “immediately activated” defensive controls. The organization was able to interrupt the incursion underway.

Public- and private-sector security leaders examined trends in cyber threats at the recent California Cybersecurity Education Summit. During an attack, one said, responding quickly is still very important.

The city will make settlements to current and former police officers and workers whose personal information was compromised by a 2023 ransomware attack. The incident, a data breach, impacted basic services for weeks.

An August ransomware attack on the state Department of Transportation exposed personal data and disrupted bus services. Officials are working to bolster the resilience of their systems and have not paid a ransom.

The matter impacted the state Department of Transportation and has, the Maryland Transit Administration said, resulted in “incident-related data loss.” Real-time bus tracking is unavailable on some routes.

The Sophos State of Ransomware in Education 2025 report indicates that while smaller ransoms and faster recovery demonstrate progress, phishing, stolen data, and staff burnout keep schools at risk.

The education sector has seen a swift rise in cybersecurity incidents since 2024, but training, awareness and tools can help ease incidents and response time.

Las Vegas police have announced the arrest of a teenager, not identified because he is a minor, on suspicion of committing a “sophisticated” cyber attack that MGM Resorts said cost it $100 million.

Online access has been restored at city libraries and recreation centers, following a full system shutdown in the wake of a July ransomware attack. Safeguards include segmentation and simplified logins.

The state Office of Attorney General confirmed a cyber attack that encrypted files in an attempt to seek a ransom was behind website, email and phone outages last month. The office has not paid, it said.

An entity has claimed responsibility for the Sept. 4 cyber attack on the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. It’s not clear whether it has demanded a ransom, but leaders are working “around the clock” on a restoration.

Following a new state mandate that municipalities update IT policies, village officials are mulling a new cybersecurity policy. Its precise details, due to state requirement, may not be publicly available.

Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District is closed for most of this week while it investigates and recovers from a ransomware attack that disrupted multiple online systems.

A month after a ransomware attack hit Minnesota's capital city, Mayor Melvin Carter is proposing a $1 million cyber investment. Still, the IT department is set to receive less new spending than many other departments.

The incident early Thursday compromised computers connected to the law enforcement agency’s system, but did not impact jail computers. The parish shares its boundaries with the city of New Orleans.

The state attorney general’s office confirmed a “cyber incident” in August that has left some staff and prosecutors unable to access archived emails, files and internal systems. Some civil cases have also been postponed.

The city is gradually restoring online services after a ransomware attack in July interrupted them. Phone service, online water bill payments, and Parks and Recreation payment systems are among those restored.