The company that hosts data for the College Of The Canyons (COC) Foundation was faced with a ransomware attack, with personal information not “misused in any way,” officials said.

On Aug. 10, Blackbaud, the database software provider the foundation uses to maintain alumni, community member and donor information, confirmed that COC Foundation data was accessible by a cybercriminal, said foundation CEO Cathy Ritz in an email.

“We take very seriously the importance of protecting the personal information entrusted to us by members of our community,” the email reads. “Blackbaud doesn’t believe that your information was misused in any way, we’re writing to inform you about this and to outline steps we’re taking.”

Blackbaud is one of the world’s largest software providers to universities, schools, charities and other nonprofit organizations and offers data management services for the COC Foundation.

On July 16, Blackbaud notified the foundation that in May 2020 they had discovered – and stopped – a ransomware attack on their computer systems, according to Ritz.

Blackbaud’s notification provided general information indicating that COC Foundation data was potentially impacted. COC immediately began working to obtain additional information from Blackbaud to confirm the scope of the incident.

In the Aug. 10 attack, Blackbaud confirmed that foundation data was accessible by the cybercriminal, according to Ritz.

To protect against further compromise of customers’ data and to mitigate potential identity theft, Blackbaud met the cybercriminal’s ransomware demand, foundation officials said.

Blackbaud reports they received confirmation that the cybercriminal destroyed the copied data in exchange for the ransomware payment, according to the foundation.

Blackbaud stated that they “have no reason to believe that any data went beyond the cybercriminal, was or will be misused, or will be disseminated or otherwise made available publicly.” They base this on the type of incident, their research, and the involvement of law enforcement and cybersecurity experts.

In addition, Blackbaud hired a third-party team of experts to monitor the dark web as an extra precautionary measure which Blackbaud intends to continue indefinitely on a 24/7/365 basis.

“It’s important to note that the cybercriminal did not access your credit card information, bank account information or social security number,” the email reads. “Notably, the COC Foundation does not store that information in the Blackbaud database or anywhere else.”

However, the foundation has determined that the file removed may have contained contact information, employer information, gender and date of birth, spouse’s identity, and a historical relationship with the foundation, such as event participation and record of giving, according to the nonprofit.

“We’re continuing to take measures to understand the full scope of this attack and to protect the personal information of our donors,” the email reads.

The foundation is seeking answers from Blackbaud on why there was a delay between incident discovery and notification to all those affected and why they’re confident the cybercriminals won’t misuse or disseminate the data they seized.

“We want to emphasize again that no credit card, bank account, or other information of that nature was compromised because the COC Foundation does not store that information in the Blackbaud database,” the email reads. “However, as a best practice, data security experts recommend that individuals remain vigilant by reviewing their account statements and credit reports closely and reporting any suspicious activities.”

COC foundation officials are also seeking information on what the are additional security measures Blackbaud put in place since the incident and any additional measures they plan to implement.

“We deeply regret any worry or inconvenience this incident may cause you,” Ritz said.

More information about this data incident can be found here.

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