In March 2025, Cherokee County School District (CCSD) in the US fell victim to a ransomware attack by the Interlock group. The assault disrupted systems for a week, crippling operations and forcing cancellations of classes. Hackers allegedly exfiltrated 624 GB of sensitive data, later confirmed to impact 46,119 individuals, including students, staff, and possibly parents. The breach exposed personal records, financial details, and internal documents, raising concerns over identity theft and fraud. While the district engaged cybersecurity firm Arete for forensic analysis (costing over $21,700), the long-term repercussions—such as reputational damage, legal liabilities, and operational recovery costs—remain unresolved. The attack underscores the education sector’s vulnerability to targeted ransomware campaigns, with threat actors exploiting weak security protocols to extract high-value data for extortion.

In March 2025, Cherokee County School District (CCSD) suffered a ransomware attack by the Interlock group, compromising the personal data of 46,119 individuals, including students, parents, and staff. The breach exposed highly sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, financial account details, and health data. The attackers, Interlock, claimed to have stolen 624 GB of data, including tax documents, employee records, and financial information, causing widespread network disruptions for two weeks. The incident marks the largest ransomware-driven data breach in the US education sector this year, surpassing previous attacks like School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties (31,475 affected). While CCSD restored its IT systems, the long-term risks—such as identity theft, financial fraud, and reputational damage—remain severe. The district offered multi-year credit monitoring via TransUnion to affected individuals. Interlock, active since October 2024, has targeted eight education providers in 2025 alone, stealing 56 TB of data across 28 confirmed attacks and impacting nearly 4.5 million records globally.