The West Clermont Local School District in Clermont County, Ohio, suffered a cyber attack in December 2023, resulting in a loss of approximately $1.7 million. The attack involved the diversion of multiple Automated Clearing House (ACH) electronic payments to unauthorized bank accounts, but no personal or student information was compromised.
Upon discovering the breach, the district promptly contacted officials and filed a claim with its insurance carrier to recover the lost funds. The district emphasized its commitment to transparency and compliance with law enforcement during the ongoing investigation to ensure the integrity of the case.
Following the attack, the district’s IT staff conducted thorough scans of its computer networks and found no evidence of malicious or unauthorized entry. To enhance security, the district has implemented additional authentication and payment protocols and has ceased making ACH payments to outside vendors.
Despite the financial setback, the district assured the community that this incident would not affect its plans to request new operational funding or lead to cuts in programs, services, or staff. The district remains focused on protecting its operations and preventing future security breaches.
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