University of California victim of nationwide hack attack

The University of California is warning its students and staff that a ransomware group might have stolen and published their personal data and that of hundreds of other schools, government agencies and companies nationwide. The university system said the cyberattack affected about 300 organizations, "including universities, government institutions and private companies."

A cybersecurity attack targeted a vulnerability in Accellion, a third-party vendor that is used to securely transfer files, the university said in a statement . We understand those behind this attack have published online screenshots of personal information, and we will notify members of the UC community if we believe their data was leaked in this manner," the university said.

Other schools, including Stanford University's School of Medicine and Yeshiva University in New York City, have reported that student and employee Social Security numbers and financial information were stolen and that some were posted online.

Ransomware attacks on a massive scale and seeking massive payouts have hit several organizations in recent months. An expert says, traditional education system was good and it seems that, as the countries go for the fast track digitisation, the problem arises. It is just we are fighting with the fire.

After the ransomware is activated, the criminals demand money to unlock the malware and refrain from posting - or selling - stolen data. In the case of corporations, that data could be trade secrets. In the case of retailers or government agencies it could be Social Security, bank account numbers and birth dates.