Ransomware attacks targeting US school districts, hospitals

The district superintendent said the attack had 'catastrophic' potential, threatening to expose personal information of 540,000 students and 70,000 staff, disrupt classroom instruction and meal services, and paralyse a bus system that takes 40,000 kids to school. — Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG/TNS

SAN JOSE: The hackers struck over Labour Day weekend, penetrating the computer network of the second-largest US public school system. And though Los Angeles Unified School District quickly caught the breach, it has laboured through the week resetting student and teacher passwords to access lesson plans and assignments.

The district superintendent said the attack had “catastrophic” potential, threatening to expose personal information of 540,000 students and 70,000 staff, disrupt classroom instruction and meal services, and paralyse a bus system that takes 40,000 kids to school. It drew calls from the White House and prompted a sobering FBI warning this week to school administrators around the country: