RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — In mid-December, an auction webpage with the logo of the hacker group “Rhysida” was posted on the dark web, asking for 20 Bitcoin — which is worth about $2 million — in exchange for data stolen from Rutherford County Schools. When nobody paid for exclusivity, the hackers shared the data publicly, including Social Security cards.
Rutherford County Schools said it “experienced a network and systems disruption on Nov. 25, 2024.” The district has been working with national experts and law enforcement to investigate the matter.
On Dec. 11, 2024, officials announced some files pertaining to certain employees were obtained in the hack, but they said their investigation didn’t find that any students’ personal data had been obtained. However, the director of schools, Dr. Jimmy Sullivan, has since revealed that some student information was also compromised.
The president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, Robyn Householder, said data breaches are far too common, but parents have several options to keep kids safe.
Her first recommendation is checking your child’s credit report and possibly freezing their credit. This will alert you if someone tries to use their Social Security Number.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is your next step if you’re concerned that your identity or your child’s identity has been stolen. Officials recommend visiting identitytheft.gov, which will allow you to create a recovery plan.
“It is an amazing website that has tons of information to help them navigate, and there is a specific section about children’s personal information,” said Robin Spector, an attorney with the FTC.
As the Rutherford County data breach remains under investigation, experts urge parents to avoid sharing any personal information online and monitor your kid’s social media accounts.
According to Householder, that information includes birthdays, middle names, club involvement, etc. Oversharing details like that can help hackers set up passwords and impersonate their targets.
Rutherford County Schools posted the following statement on Dec. 27, 2024, about the hack:
As you are aware, Rutherford County Schools experienced a network and systems disruption on November 25, 2024. Our team has been investigating this matter, with the assistance of third-party cybersecurity specialists, to determine the nature and scope of the event.
The cybersecurity specialists have informed us that some employee personal information was subject to unauthorized acquisition. We do not believe it includes all of our employees, but we are conducting a thorough investigation. In addition, some student information was subject to unauthorized acquisition.
The investigation will include a thorough review of the data that was potentially impacted. Once our review is complete, we will notify affected individuals in accordance with applicable laws.
Jimmy Sullivan, Director of Schools for Rutherford County Schools
No additional details have been released about the investigation into this hack.
