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Stride faces cyberattack, student and employee information acquired

Date: December 02, 2020 Nandita Bhardwaj Nandita Bhardwaj
Stride faces cyberattack, student and employee information acquired 
American company, Stride Inc. has reported an unauthorized activity on its network, dated December 16, 2020, which has been confirmed as a cyberattack in the form of ransomware. Reportedly, the attacker has gained access to certain parts of Stride’s back-office technologies, including certain employee and student information.



For the record, with the help of their cyber insurance provider, the company has made arrangements to make payments to the ransomware attacker, with an aim to ensure that the information procured by the attacker from their systems will not be leaked online or in any other manner.



After identifying the threat, the company has also undertaken the necessary steps to protect the data by informing the law enforcement authorities along with working with third-party forensics team to study the matter.



Along similar lines, Stride Inc. has established a team of advisors on data security compliance, comprising of former United States Attorneys and state Attorneys General who carry experience in handling criminal cyberattacks along with other professional technical advisors.



Prominent names in the panel include former Eastern District of Missouri Attorney - Catherine Hanaway, John Byron Van Hollen, former state Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, and William Lockyer, former California State Attorney General.  



Notably, the cyberattack has not impacted the Learning Management Systems that are adopted by the schools to provide content to the students and to host student accounts. The firm’s client schools, both, charter, and district online ones are operating and are just as secure.



In addition to the above, all the other major corporate systems, such as accounting, payroll, enrollment, procurement, financial reporting, and shopping, have remained operational throughout the incident.



Earlier known as K12 Inc., Stride is committed to helping students meet their full potential through personalized learning solutions and innovative teaching techniques. Stride is a leading provider of K-12 education for schools, districts, and students, including career learning platforms through the middle and high school curriculum.  



Additionally, the company also sponsors the ‘Future of School’- a non-profit organization that aims at bridging the gap between technology and education.



Source Credits:  https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201130005970/en/Stride-Identifies-a-Cyberattack-on-Its-Systems-and-Network

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Nandita Bhardwaj

Nandita holds a management degree with specialization in marketing, and boasts of a short-term experience in the field of recruitment. Following her passion for writing however, she decided to pursue a career in the field of content development. Presently, Nandita pens down news pieces for newsorigins.com, spanning the verticals of business, finance, and technology.