The Dark Overlord expanded its attacks against schools last week when it took on two districts sending texts and emails that threatened the students safety if their ransom demand was not met.
In tweets posted on October 4 the cyber gang officially took credit for hacking into the Johnston County (Iowa) School District and Splendora (Texas) School District. The group was also responsible for a similar attack against the Columbia Falls (Montana) School District in September during which threatening emails and texts were sent to parents. No information regarding the group's demands were released.
Some Johnston district parents received emails last week that contained specific information about their home address and children and which threatened violence at the district's schools, The Des Moines Register reported. The Dark Overlord also posted the district's directory onto Pastebin that included the name, grade level and address of thousands of students along with their parents' phone numbers, said WHOTV. This has since been removed from the site.
Splendora schools warned parents they too may receive similar messages and to report them to the local police, reported ABC13.
“In previous cases, these messages have been via text and/or email, and have been violent and graphic. The point of this is to incite fear and panic for parents,” the district told parents in an email, ABC13 said.
In the Columbia Falls incident the district closed down for three days as a precautionary measure.
In all cases the local police and FBI have been called in.
