Barton Primary, Medina College and Island 6th Form: Isle of Wight schools hit by ransomware attack

Isle of Wight Schools Hit by Ransomware Attack, Disrupting IT Systems

Six schools on the Isle of Wight Carisbrooke College, Island 6th Form, Medina College, Barton Primary, Hunnyhill Primary, and Lanesend Primary have been affected by a ransomware attack that encrypted their data and disrupted IT systems. The Isle of Wight Education Federation confirmed the incident occurred last week, stating it is working with police and the local council to manage the fallout.

A federation spokesman acknowledged the "significant implications" of the attack and outlined plans to strengthen security measures moving forward. While efforts are underway to restore systems in time for the new academic year, the headteacher of one affected school attributed the disruption to a malware incident, which has hindered communications and operations.

The attack comes amid broader cybersecurity concerns, including recent regulatory changes requiring greater transparency from organizations about breaches. Meanwhile, a new cybersecurity center in Guernsey has launched to bolster defenses against digital threats, reflecting growing regional efforts to combat cyber risks.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-58078670

ISLAND cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/islandco

Medina College cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/medina-college

Riverview Family of Schools cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/riverview-family-of-schools

"id": "ISLMEDRIV1781270544",
"linkid": "islandco, medina-college, riverview-family-of-schools",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "8/2021",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'education',
                        'location': 'Isle of Wight',
                        'name': 'Carisbrooke College',
                        'type': 'school'},
                       {'industry': 'education',
                        'location': 'Isle of Wight',
                        'name': 'Island 6th Form',
                        'type': 'school'},
                       {'industry': 'education',
                        'location': 'Isle of Wight',
                        'name': 'Medina College',
                        'type': 'school'},
                       {'industry': 'education',
                        'location': 'Isle of Wight',
                        'name': 'Barton Primary',
                        'type': 'school'},
                       {'industry': 'education',
                        'location': 'Isle of Wight',
                        'name': 'Hunnyhill Primary',
                        'type': 'school'},
                       {'industry': 'education',
                        'location': 'Isle of Wight',
                        'name': 'Lanesend Primary',
                        'type': 'school'}],
 'data_breach': {'data_encryption': 'yes'},
 'date_detected': 'last week',
 'description': 'Six schools on the Isle of Wight were affected by a '
                'ransomware attack that encrypted their data and disrupted IT '
                'systems. The incident has hindered communications and '
                'operations, with efforts underway to restore systems in time '
                'for the new academic year.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': 'encrypted',
            'operational_impact': 'disrupted communications and operations',
            'systems_affected': 'IT systems'},
 'investigation_status': 'ongoing',
 'lessons_learned': 'plans to strengthen security measures moving forward',
 'ransomware': {'data_encryption': 'yes'},
 'references': [{'source': 'news article'}],
 'response': {'law_enforcement_notified': 'yes',
              'remediation_measures': 'efforts to restore systems'},
 'title': 'Isle of Wight Schools Ransomware Attack',
 'type': 'ransomware'}