Western PA School District Information Hacked

MARS, PA — The Mars Area School District is investigating a data security incident that resulted in unspecified information being leaked online.

A statement on the district's website said officials are conducting a thorough probe of the hacking with information security experts.

"We have also reported this incident to law enforcement," the post stated.

"Our investigation is ongoing, but at this time we cannot say for certain what data was impacted. Once our investigation concludes, we will notify impacted individuals, if any, in accordance with the relevant data security laws."

The date breach occurred on Sept. 27, district officials said.

The Butler Eagle reported that the ransomware group Vice Society is believed to be responsible for the hacking.

The FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center last month a joint cybersecurity advisory after observing Vice Society threat actors disproportionately targeting the education sector with ransomware attacks.

According to the advisory, Vice Society is an intrusion, exfiltration, and extortion hacking group that first appeared in summer 2021. The advisory warned that other districts may be targeted during the 2022-23 school year.

"The education sector, especially kindergarten through twelfth grade institutions, have been a frequent target of ransomware attacks," the advisory stated. "Impacts from these attacks have ranged from restricted access to networks and data, delayed exams, canceled school days, and unauthorized access to and theft of personal information regarding students and staff."

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