Marietta City Schools in Georgia fell victim to a cyberattack in early December, prompting heightened security measures and an active investigation into the breach.
Superintendent Grant Rivera acknowledged on December 4 that unauthorized actors had infiltrated the school district's network systems. The district's IT team moved quickly to contain the incident, helping reduce potential service disruptions.
The following day, a ransomware group known as RansomHub stepped forward to claim responsibility for the attack. The cybercriminals stated they had extracted 500 GB of data from school systems and demanded payment within one week.
While the school district has not disclosed whether they complied with the ransom demands, officials have taken concrete steps to prevent future incidents. These measures include bringing in external cybersecurity investigators and deploying round-the-clock monitoring software to protect their networks.
The district administration continues working with investigators to examine the full scope of the breach. School officials have emphasized their ongoing dedication to protecting student and staff data privacy throughout the recovery process.
This incident adds to a growing list of cyberattacks targeting educational institutions across the United States, highlighting the need for robust digital security in school systems.