A group calling itself Shiba ransomware has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack that forced a New York school district to cancel classes for two days. The Oneonta City School District, which serves around 1,700 pupils across five schools, closed on Friday 23 October and Monday 26 October after the incident disrupted its technology systems. An email sent to several news outlets on Tuesday 27 October said the group had stolen records covering students, parents and staff, and threatened to publish them within eight days unless a deal was reached.

District confirms contact, but not the data claim

Superintendent Thomas Brindley confirmed the district has been dealing directly with Shiba and that it is the party taking responsibility, but said it had not specifically identified evidence supporting the group's claims about what was stolen. The district has hired a third-party cybersecurity firm to investigate, and said it took critical life-safety systems offline to support that work. Officials have not said whether a ransom was demanded or paid, and local, state and federal authorities are involved.

What remains unconfirmed

The episode underlines how a school cyber incident can quickly become a classroom disruption: the district first believed it faced an internal technology problem before confirming ransomware, and only reopened to pupils on Tuesday 27 October. Until the investigation concludes, families cannot be sure whether personal information was taken, and the group's publication threat remains unverified. The district has said it will share more information as its investigation continues.

Sources: GovTech, CyberNews.