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.
Cyber experts weigh in following network interruption affecting Rutherford County Schools
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.