2. Gadsden ISD was hit twice

In February, it was discovered that Gadsden Independent School District in Las Cruces, New Mexico, had been forced to take systems offline after discovering a ransomware attack. Ransomware attacks against K-12 schools are common in 2020; at least 18 ransomware attacks against K-12 districts have been reported in a year when pandemic concerns have distracted the usual local news reports and school reporting procedures. But for Gadsden ISD, it was the second time the Ryuk virus had shut down operations within months, having scrubbed 10,000 computers, replaced servers and rebuilt its email system the previous summer. Even so, the second time around, the district again refused to pay the ransom.