Broward County Public Schools

Broward County Public Schools operates as a public school district serving Broward County, Florida. The organization provides educational services to the community within its jurisdiction. Its headquarters is located in the United States of America. As a publicly funded institution, it receives financial support from government sources. The district’s primary function is to deliver instruction and related support services to students and staff.

In March 2021, Broward County Public Schools was targeted by a ransomware attack conducted by the Conti group. The attack encrypted the district’s servers and led to the exfiltration of over one terabyte of sensitive data, including personal information of students and employees. The perpetrators initially demanded a $40 million ransom, subsequently lowering their demands to $15 million and then $10 million. The district countered with an offer of $500,000, citing its limited financial resources. Negotiations broke down, prompting Conti to release chat logs of the exchange, although no confirmed public disclosure of the stolen data was reported at that time. This episode underscores the cybersecurity risks confronting large public education systems.