UPDATE OCT. 5: Suspect identified, district registry leaked
October 20, 2017
Student names, telephone numbers, and addresses have all been publicly posted as of Oct. 5. The information was posted via the suspected hacker group’s twitter. The group in question is known as the “Dark Overlord Solution.” The twitter account in question has now been deactivated.
It is important to understand that all the information was public knowledge.
The group claimed responsibility for the threats on Oct. 5. The hackers also posted voicemail messages from Johnston students and parents that were sent to the number that the threats were issues from.
Most of the information has been posted on the deep web, a part of the internet that has not yet been indexed yet and cannot be obtained without the use of a special web browser or protocol.
The Dark Overlord Solution has claimed responsibility for multiple hacks in the past, including leaking a Netflix original series and demand for a back ransom back in April. The same group has also claimed responsibility for two similar threats made to school districts around the country in the past several weeks. The first was in Montana, the second was in Texas.
The Minnesota-based Infinite Campus has stated their programs are not to blame for the breach.
Police have stated that they are unwilling to elaborate on the nature of the crime committed, though they have confirmed it is a cybercrime and the threats that were made were not deemed credible. The Omaha branch of the FBI is working with the Johnston police department.