The ransomware attack on Finalsite, a software maker company affected the websites of about 5,000 institutions. The affected websites include high schools and colleges which disrupted the complete higher education system. Finalsite launched immediate investigations and tried to restore the websites soon but still, the attack affected thousands of students and staff of the universities and schools at once.

The Emma Willard School experienced a data breach on July 12, 2021, reported by the Maine Office of the Attorney General on August 11, 2021. The incident stemmed from a hacking attack, compromising the personal information of approximately 400 to 600 individuals, including Social Security Numbers (SSNs)—a highly sensitive data type often exploited for identity theft. While the exact method of infiltration remains undisclosed, the breach exposed individuals to significant risks, such as financial fraud and unauthorized account access. In response, the school offered 12 months of identity theft protection services through Kroll to affected parties, mitigating potential long-term harm. The breach underscores vulnerabilities in the institution’s cybersecurity defenses, particularly in safeguarding personally identifiable information (PII) from external threats. No ransomware involvement was reported, but the exposure of SSNs elevates the severity due to the high potential for identity-based crimes.