A hacking group by the name of Dark Overlord made cyber threats of extortion to Flathead County Schools of Montana, which has caused more than 30 schools within the district to close. The U.S. Department of Education also notified parents and staff, CNN reported.
Superintendent Steve Bradshaw said he first received a text in mid-September that threatened the exploitation of the Montana school district’s data. He added that hackers broke into multiple school servers and stole personal information of students and possibly staff. The hackers then demanded a ransom or they would release the records to the public.
Flathead County law enforcement believe the hackers’ threats are just that and have determined the group is located outside of the U.S.
Bradshaw said the district will not pay the ransom but indicated that the cyber threats continue.
Earlier this month the hacking group also targeted the Johnson Community School District in Iowa, as well as streaming service, Netflix, by leaking new episodes of the television series, “Orange is the New Black.”
As the cyber threats continue, Bradshaw grows more concerned since the district has yet paid the hackers. In the meantime, Bradshaw emphasized that efforts from law enforcement and the Flathead County community have been positive.
