Melbourne Catholic College hit by ransomware attack exposing student and staff data
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Loyola College, a Catholic secondary school located in Watsonia, Melbourne's north-east, reports a data breach that exposed sensitive student and staff information.
The cyberattack was claimed by the Interlock ransomware gang, which breached the school's IT systems and published the stolen data on the dark web. The ransomware group claims that the "full history and database of all students and their private information were freely available." Exposed data includes:
- Full names and addresses
- Email addresses and phone numbers
- Emergency contact information
- Passport details and birth certificate information
- Health and medical information
- Financial information and detailed financial records
- Tax details and court orders
- Complete student academic histories
- Legal documents
The incident affected approximately 1,656 individuals: 1,446 students enrolled at the college, 131 teaching staff and 79 non-teaching staff members.
Principal Alison Leutchford confirmed the breach in a letter sent to parents on Wednesday, stating that the school's digital forensic experts were investigating the full extent of the compromise. She acknowledged that the situation was "deeply unsettling" and assured the community that the college was taking every necessary step to secure its systems.
The school immediately reset passwords for all staff, students, and parents, engaged external cybersecurity experts, and implemented additional safeguards with support from the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS). The college also contacted the authorities.
