Interlock Ransomware Group Claims Attack on Community College of Beaver County In March 2026, the cybercriminal group Interlock took responsibility for a ransomware attack on Community College of Beaver County (CCBC), a public institution in Pennsylvania serving over 7,000 students. The attack, disclosed by CCBC on March 9, 2026, encrypted critical data and disrupted access to grades, transcripts, and financial records. The college temporarily closed its campus, with in-person classes resuming only on March 30. Interlock, which operates a data leak site, claimed to have stolen 780 GB of data, including personal records, financial documents, and contracts, which it threatened to release publicly. While the group has asserted responsibility, CCBC has not confirmed Interlock’s involvement, and key details such as the ransom demand, payment status, and breach method remain undisclosed. The college is conducting an investigation to determine the full scope of the incident. About Interlock First active in October 2024, Interlock is a ransomware operation that both encrypts systems and exfiltrates data, demanding payment for decryption and deletion of stolen files. Since its emergence, the group has claimed 98 attacks, with 47 confirmed by victims. Of those, 15 targeted educational institutions, highlighting a growing trend of ransomware threats against schools. Ransomware Surge in U.S. Education The CCBC attack is part of a broader wave of ransomware incidents affecting U.S. schools in 2026. Other recent victims include: - Denmark School District (WI) – January 2026 (Inc ransomware) - Alcorn School District (MS) – March 2026 (LockBit) - Lehigh Carbon Community College (PA) – March 2026 (Medusa) - Monmouth University (NJ) – March 2026 (PEAR) - Alamo Heights ISD (TX) – March 2026 Such attacks can cripple operations, leading to prolonged downtime, data loss, and heightened fraud risks for students and staff. Schools that refuse to pay may face extended disruptions, though compliance with ransom demands does not guarantee data recovery or attacker silence.

South Washington County Schools suffered from a massive data breach incident after the accidental release of private student information sent out in an email attachment from the district’s transportation department. The exposed information includes names, grades, identification numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, bus routes, pick up and drop off times, pick up and drop off locations, and schools of attendance for some 9,000 students. They asked who so ever received the email to delete the attachment and not forward it.

The South Washington County school district was targeted in a cyberattack in February 2017. The compromised information included the district’s server, names, Social Security numbers, and some addresses. Files for more than 15,000 people were downloaded, and 478 people actually had their files opened. The district offered free identity theft monitoring to the 478 people whose data was accessed and an informational guide to handling identity theft.