Excerpt from Infosecurity magazine Article, Published on Jun 10, 2025.
Philadelphia-based charter school network Mastery has confirmed a ransomware attack that compromised the personal data of 37,031 individuals. The incident, which occurred in September 2024, has raised concerns across the education sector as cyber threats continue to escalate. Mastery, the largest charter school network in Philadelphia, reported that the breach exposed a wide range of sensitive data, including Social Security numbers, birth dates, medical records, and student information. Officials at Mastery detected the attack on September 15, 2024, after an unauthorized actor encrypted several systems, disrupting essential operations such as email and phone communications.
The cybercriminal group DragonForce has claimed responsibility for the ransomware attack and stated it has stolen 171 GB of data from Mastery. While the group has listed Mastery on its leak site, the organization has not confirmed these claims, nor has it disclosed whether a ransom was paid or how the attackers gained access. Mastery has started notifying affected individuals, sending out official notices over the past weekend. Despite the scale of the breach, Mastery stated that there is currently no evidence of identity theft or fraud stemming from the incident.
To mitigate potential fallout, Mastery is offering free identity protection through Experian’s IdentityWorks service, requiring impacted individuals to enroll by August 31, 2025. In response to the breach, Mastery is increasing the use of multi-factor authentication and expanding endpoint monitoring to bolster its cybersecurity defenses. CEO Dr. Joel Boyd emphasized Mastery’s commitment to strengthening its systems and protecting its community. The organization has also engaged federal law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to investigate further. Serving approximately 14,000 students across 23 campuses in Philadelphia and Camden, Mastery is a prominent name in education. This incident highlights the growing threat ransomware poses to institutions like Mastery and the need for stronger digital protections.
To delve deeper into this topic, please read the full article Infosecurity-magazine.
