Cyber Incident Victim: Shaker Heights City School District
Date:
Jan 2022
Location:
United States of America
Summary
Shaker Heights City School District experienced a hacking incident discovered in late January involving unauthorized system access dating back to early September. The breach resulted in data exfiltration affecting approximately 3,725 individuals, with compromised information including names and Social Security numbers. The district confirmed no student data was impacted in the event, which prompted notifications to multiple state authorities.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 2 techniques |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
The Shaker Heights City School District in Ohio discovered a cybersecurity incident on January 30, 2022. An investigation determined that unauthorized actors had gained access to the district's systems as early as September 1, 2021, establishing a nearly five-month window of potential compromise before detection. During this period, the attackers successfully exfiltrated data from the district's network. The district did not publicly specify the exact intrusion method or which specific systems were breached, but confirmed that data removal had occurred. The incident was classified as a hacking event rather than accidental exposure.
In response to the breach, Shaker Heights City School District filed notifications with multiple state authorities, including the Maine Attorney General's Office and Montana Attorney General's Office. The district identified 3,725 individuals whose personally identifiable information was compromised, specifically listing names and Social Security numbers as the exposed data elements. Officials explicitly stated no evidence suggested student information was involved in the breach. Notifications to affected individuals occurred following the completion of the forensic investigation, though the article does not specify the notification timeline beyond the May 2022 disclosure date. A post-publication correction clarified the district's location as Ohio after initial erroneous references to North Carolina.