Broward County Public Schools state in a command on Thursday that no personal entropy had been compromise and that it had stimulate no extortion requital to the ransomware group , which had carry screenshots of its online babble out with the zone to its grim WWW site concluding week as an unmistakable insistence proficiency . The dominion , which is situate in Fort Lauderdale , aforesaid it is partner with cybersecurity expert to “ inquire the incidental and remediate move organization . ” All service are being touch on , and march on is being stool . “ We are not become to wage a ransom money . ” according to the cyberpunk ’ screenshots , after two hebdomad of gage and Forth River , the dominion adjudicate to ante up $ 500,000 , at which power point the ransomware felon obviously stop talks . outside of its proclamation , the territorial dominion decline to comment advance . Broward is the commonwealth ’s 6th - heavy schooling district , with 271,000 student and a $ 4 billion annual budget — a bespeak the drudge retain bringing up as they quest $ 40 million in cryptocurrency . The ransomware closed down the territorial dominion ’s estimator organisation for a brief metre in former March , but category were not off-and-on . The Conti gang up say ahead of time in their talks with a zone functionary , whose distinguish does not come out in the screenshots and has not been turn , “ It is a potential add for you . ” Its datum - lock away ransomware is one of the circus tent ten ransomware try . The Broward negotiator answer , “ This is a PUBLIC cultivate district . ” “ You ca n’t in truth consider we do n’t induce anything comparable ! ” It was unclear whether the example was a district employee or a engage ransomware treater , as is oftentimes the grammatical case . The FBI unremarkably investigate such Assault , but it would n’t read if it was wait into this ane on Thursday . Over the preceding three years , a ransomware eruption has smite authorities office , enterprisingness , and person . The bulk of the crowd are Russian - speech production and site in Eastern Europe , where they are protect by patient of government activity . The Sir Thomas More gain chemical group pre - distinguish their place , infect net through phishing or other method , and much slip data while installing malware that encipher a victim ’s meshwork . After the ransomware has been trigger , the criminal involve money in convert for the malware ’s decryption and a assure not to percentage — or deal — slip data point online . The information may be barter closed book in the vitrine of keep company . It may be Social Security routine , banking concern invoice figure , or birthing go steady in the event of merchant or administration delegacy . Conti aforesaid it stole Social Security bit , deliver go steady , and former scholarly person and employee inside information from Broward ’s system . Ransomware flak on populace educate territorial dominion have been far-flung . terminal class , the Baltimore County , Maryland , Fairfax County , Virginia , Hartford , Connecticut , and Fort Worth , Texas , zone were among those stirred . according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Department , elementary , midriff , and high gear school day have been steady direct in Holocene month . It was unwrap in December that K-12 civilise were creditworthy for 57 % of all cover approach in August and September , compare to 28 % in January and July . according to Emsisoft psychoanalyst Brett Callow , ransomware tone-beginning interrupt ascertain at 1,681 cultivate , college , and university in 2020 and at to the lowest degree 544 thusly ALIR this twelvemonth . personal entropy was bring in populace in seven dominion . Because of the financial obligation and stigma seize to dupe , many ransomware eccentric choke unreported . Since victim and cyber-terrorist talk terms on dark-skinned website that research worker acquire about through portion out malware sample distribution , where attacker commonly leave ransomware bank bill with instructions and asking , cybersecurity business firm take in respectable datum on ransom money send . A completely industry has take shape up to attend dupe in their pinch office . allot to cybersecurity accompany Palo Alto Networks , the median ransom money lodge to cut crowd intimately treble from $ 115,000 in 2019 to $ 312,000 in 2020 . harmonise to the sketch , the high redeem saddle by a fellowship reduplicate end yr , from $ 5 million to $ 10 million . Conti sound out it was uncoerced to talk terms with Broward after the mob ’s initial $ 40 million demand , saying it would take $ 15 million in Bitcoin if it could be send within 24 minute . otherwise , it would upload the personal data point it lay claim to possess and shut away the manoeuvre device everlastingly . Conti contend that the zone ’s sound title for fall back the datum would toll More than $ 50 million , so it can think the involve a dicker . Conti differentiate the territory , “ pay $ 15 million and you rib are ensure to doctor your problem . ” The territorial dominion enounce that it placid could n’t give it and that it did n’t consume get at to Bitcoin in either result . Since cybercurrency is unmanageable to racecourse , ransomware gang up requirement defrayment in it . Conti intensify its menace by allege that it had expose derogative data about an unspecified purple family line in Broward ’s database , which the dominion ’s treater disregard as farcical . The negotiator do , “ What do you beggarly by a regal house … we are a public schooltime district . ” Conti in the end glower its postulate to $ 10 million after a two - workweek talk terms point . The district counter with a $ 500,000 play . That is the almost Holocene screenshot . “ The negotiation is unknown , ” articulate Emsisoft psychoanalyst Callow . “ The Conti extortioner are veteran extortioner , so it ’s unusual that they did n’t look to gain who they were administer with and bespeak a marrow that a world educate scheme will never bid . I ’m at a loss for lyric . ”