Ako City Board of Education Server Encrypted by Ransomware, School Operations Continue to Be Impacted

According to Security NEXT, Ako City in Hyogo Prefecture was notified by its outsourced IT contractor on December 18, 2024, confirming that data on a Board of Education server had been encrypted by ransomware ^[1]. The affected server stored personal data of elementary and junior high school students as well as school affairs system data; as of December 27, no traces of exfiltration had been confirmed and the investigation into potential data leakage remained ongoing ^[1]. The city is restoring school affairs data from backups, while previously affected email, internet, and tablet learning functions at schools and childcare facilities have already been restored ^[1].

Industries mainly affected: Education

The city is restoring school affairs data from backups, while previously affected email, internet, and tablet learning functions at schools and childcare facilities have already been restored ^[1].