Ransomware gang claims cyber attack that shut down Nebraska schools

Ransomware gang Interlock today claimed responsibility for a cyber attack that shut down Winnebago Public Schools in Nebraska.

On October 21, 2024, Winnebago Public Schools announced it suffered a cyber attack. The school district’s website stated, “There has been a cyber-attack on the system at Winnebago Public Schools. We are currently working through the breach, and trying to get our system back to full operation. Please be patient with us as we may have some services (phone, internet, etc.) shut down periodically.”

A day later, the district dismissed students from class early and canceled classes altogether on October 23 as a result of the attack.

In addition to locking down school computer systems, Interlock says it stole 223 GB of data from the district containing personal data of employees and students. It posted images of the allegedly stolen data to prove its claim.

Winnebago Public Schools has not verified Interlock’s claim. We do not yet know what the data contains, how many people’s data might be compromised, whether the school district did/will pay a ransom, how much Interlock demanded, or how attackers breached the district’s network. Comparitech contacted Winnebago Public Schools for comment and will update this article if it responds.

Who is Interlock?

Interlock is a new ransomware gang that first started adding targets to its leak site in October 2024. Since then, Comparitech researchers have logged four confirmed ransomware attacks claimed by the group, and another three that haven’t been acknowledged by targets.

Interlock claimed responsibility for recent confirmed attacks on the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Smeg Group, and Wayne County, MI.

Ransomware attacks on education

Ransomware attacks can both steal data from and lock down a school’s computer systems by infecting them with malware. The school must then pay a ransom for a key to unlock the computer systems, and so the attacker will agree to not sell or publish the stolen data.

Ransomware can disrupt systems used for assignments, grades, communications with teachers and staff, billing, payroll, and more. Schools often have to resort to pen and paper until systems are restored, and some even cancel classes in the wake of ransomware attacks. If a school refuses to pay, restoration can take weeks or even months, and students and staff whose data was compromised are put at greater risk of identity theft.

Comparitech researchers tracked 96 confirmed ransomware attacks on schools, universities, and other educational institutions worldwide in 2024.

Within 24 hours of writing this article, ransomware gangs claimed attacks on Universidad Católica de Valencia in Spain; the International University of Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Herzegovina; and Ireland’s South East Technological University–Waterford.

About Winnebago Public Schools

Winnebago Public Schools is a public K-12 school district in northeast Nebraska. According to external sources, it enrolls 629 students.