Hackers now targeting schools, threatening children & intercepting paychecks
Schools are increasingly becoming a target for cyberattacks with hackers aiming to compromise data at more than 30 schools so far across the country.
“These hackers are not just getting their hands on students’ names, addresses, Social Security numbers but also students’ grades, their disciplinary records, even their medical records,” the FOX Business Network’s Hillary Vaughn explained.
The hackers are even diverting money intended for school employees’ paychecks, telling FBN’s Ashley Webster on “Varney & Co.” that some schools, “Had their direct deposit paychecks intercepted and then rerouted to unauthorized accounts, leading the schools to make up the difference for their employees.”
Vaughn says the cyber threat is costing schools tens of thousands of dollars.
“This is money spent to either pay off the hackers, or fighting back against the attacks. Valley College here in Los Angeles paid a $28,000 ransom to hackers in January.”
According to Vaughn, in one Iowa school district hackers “even sent threatening texts to parents, some of the texts threatening to kill their children.”