Baltimore City Public Schools report data breach
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Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) is reporting a cybersecurity incident that resulted in the unauthorized access of personal information belonging to thousands of individuals connected to the school system.
The breach occurred on February 13, 2025 and has been confirmed as a ransomware attack attributed to the Cloak ransomware gang, according to local news outlet 11 News/WBALTV which reportedly found a ransom note connected to the incident. BCPS confirmed that the incident was indeed a ransomware attack and claims that no ransom was paid to the attackers.
The school district immediately notified law enforcement authorities and engaged cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident and assist with recovery efforts.
According to the school system, the hackers may have obtained folders, files, or records "belonging to certain current and former employees who completed the I-9 verification process as part of their onboarding to City Schools, as well as certain employees, volunteers, and contractors who have undergone a background check with City Schools." The stolen files contained various types of sensitive personal information, including:
- Social Security numbers
- Driver's license numbers
- Passport numbers
- Student records
- Call logs
- Absenteeism records
- Maternity status information
The data breach has affected approximately 25,000 people in total:
- About 7,000 current teachers were impacted
- Anyone employed by the district since 2010 may have been affected
- Less than 1.5% of the current student population (more than 1,150 students) had their information compromised
- 55% of school employees were affected,.
BCPS has sent notification letters to affected individuals on April 22, 2025 and is offering 24 months of complimentary credit monitoring to those impacted.
A call center is being established to answer questions about the incident.
Update - as of 28th of April 2025, Baltimore City Public Schools was confirmed by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General to have had more than 31,000 individuals' data stolen in this incident.
