A ransomware attack struck Las Cruces Public Schools, in Las Cruces New Mexico, that disabled the entire district’s computer system. The school system discovered the issue this morning and reacted by shutting down the entire computer network. The school district activated its crisis response network to try to restore critical services. Currently, it is unknown how extensive the damage is, or how long the systems will be down. Although the systems are down, schools have remained open and classes will not be disrupted. More information on this attack can be found here:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ransomware-attack-causes-school-district-wide-shutdown/
Analyst Notes
The primary method from recovering from a ransomware attack is to have complete, secure backups of computer systems. These backups can reduce the amount of time systems are down by replacing infected files with clean versions. Also, employing companies such as Binary Defense that can provide endpoint monitoring and detection services to detect and defend from incoming infections can prevent attacks from doing significant damage.
