Probe Launched: Alleged LAUSD Data Theft Can Expose Student to Fraud
LAUSD has initiated an investigation into an alleged data theft claimed by an unknown threat actor. Tens of millions of students data records, thousands of teacher records, and hundreds of staff records are put up for sale on the dark web. Learn more about it.
- An unknown threat actor is selling millions of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) student, teacher, and staff records on the dark web.
- Neither LAUSD nor the threat actor has revealed the source of the data, which exposes students to identity theft and fraud.
LAUSD has initiated an investigation into an alleged data breach claimed by an unknown threat actor. The second-largest school district in the United States also engaged law enforcement in investigating the breach of as much as 11 gigabytes of data.
According to Dark Web Informer, more than 24 million data records of students (including minors) and 24,000 records of teachers are put up for sale on the dark web.
“The recent investigation into data theft claims in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) underscores a growing and urgent issue facing educational organizations nationwide. Educational institutions remain particularly vulnerable to threat actors due to the vast amount of personal data of students and staff they store,” Paul Prudhomme, principal security analyst at SecurityScorecard, told Spiceworks News & Insights.
“The personal data of students is particularly useful for identity theft, such as fraudulent lines of credit. Children typically have little or no credit history and are unlikely to check their credit reports.”
This exposes them to identity theft, fraud and other criminal activities. Moreover, the data is available for just $1000 in CSV format. Here’s the breakdown of the data provided by Dark Web Informer:
🚨Data For Sale🚨A threat actor is allegedly selling data belonging to Los Angeles Unified School District. Over 24 million records compromised. More below!#DarkWeb #Cybersecurity #Security #Cyberattack #Cybercrime #Privacy #Infosec
Files:
– STUDENTS DB 24M – CSV 10GB
-… pic.x.com/z5YUbzhtta— Dark Web Informer (@DarkWebInformer) June 6, 2024
Stuart Wells, CTO at Jumio, commented, “Minors affected by this breach are particularly vulnerable to fraud. Scammers can use their SSNs and other personal details to open new accounts, build credit histories, and rack up debt before the minor, or their guardian, is even aware of the issue.”
See More: Navigating Data Breaches in Healthcare: The Six Layers to Securing Remote Connectivity
“By the time the fraudulent activity is discovered, it can be a complex and lengthy process to resolve, causing significant financial hardship for the victim. After all, how often does a minor check their credit score?”
According to the analysis by researchers who spoke with BleepingComputer, the data appears legitimate and is not recent. Sample data shared by the threat actors include 1,000 students’ Social Security Numbers (SSNs), contact information including addresses and email addresses, and dates of birth.
A master student record includes demographic data, graduation status, coursework, meal plans, and other information. The threat actor and the LAUSD have not revealed the source of the stolen data.
“As cyber threats continue to advance, businesses must implement modern verification technologies to strengthen the protection of sensitive user data. To effectively combat fraud in all forms, implementing a robust identity verification system is crucial. With biometric verification methods, illegitimate users and hackers are stopped before they can do more harm as they need more than a set of credentials to log in,” Wells continued.
Prudhomme added that educational organizations have a limited IT budget and staff and are often plagued with outdated software that can expose them to cybercrime.
“Keeping software up to date is crucial, as unpatched software is a common entry point for threat actors. Regular cybersecurity training for all members of the school community can improve overall awareness and help to remain vigilant against phishing attacks. Implementing these proactive approaches as well as developing and testing incident response plans ensures that these organizations can respond swiftly and effectively to any cyber incidents,” Prudhomme said.
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