Cybercriminals say they hacked an Australian school A cybercriminal group called Interlock today took credit for a data breach earlier this month at Reynella East College near Adelaide, Australia.

The school on June 9, 2026 said a cybersecurity breach on its computer systems led to the school’s ICT systems going offline for a week. An investigation is ongoing.

On its data leak website, Interlock says it stole 610 GB from Reynella East College including student and staff ID numbers, seating charts, and financial reports. To prove its claim, the ransomware group posted images of files it claims to have stolen from the college.

Interlock lists Reynella East College on its data leak site.
Interlock lists Reynella East College on its data leak site.

Reynella East College has not acknowledged Interlock’s claim and Comparitech cannot independently verify its authenticity. We do not know what data was compromised, how attackers breached the school’s network, if the school paid a ransom, or how much Interlock demanded. Comparitech contacted Reynella East College for comment and will update this article if it replies.

“There has been a cyber security breach impacting all of our school’s computer systems,” said a notice posted by Reynella East on Facebook.

“At this point, investigations are ongoing, and we will provide further advice if there are any impacts to personal information.”

Who is Interlock?

Interlock is a ransomware gang that first started claiming attacks on its leak site in October 2024. Its malware both steals data and locks down computer systems. Interlock then demands a ransom to restore infected systems and delete stolen data.

Interlock has claimed responsibility for 23 ransomware attacks in 2026 to date. Of those, eight were confirmed by the organizations it targeted. Four of those claims, including Reynella, were schools:

  • Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego (Poland) reported a January 2026 data breach
  • Wagon Mound Public Schools (USA) reported a February 2026 data breach
  • Community College of Beaver County (USA) reported a March 2026 data breach

If we go back further, the data shows that Interlock’s attacks on schools are not a new trend. It also took credit for the following:

Ransomware attacks on schools

Comparitech researchers have logged 31 confirmed ransomware attacks on school, universities, and other educational institutions worldwide in 2026 to date.

The Australian College of business Intelligence reported a May 2026 data breach claimed by the Qilin ransomware group.

Evanston Township High School District 202 was also targeted this month by a ransomware attack that disrupted phone lines and other systems.

Other such recent attacks include:

  • Kyushu University (Japan) notified 43 people of a May 2026 ransomware attack
  • Campbell University (USA) reported a March 2026 data breach claimed by Qilin
  • Grey High School (South Africa) reported a May 2026 data breach claimed by LockBit

Ransomware attacks on schools can both steal data and disrupt day-to-day operations such as taking attendance, submitting grades, phone and email communications, billing, payroll, and assignments. Schools that refuse to pay can face extended downtime, permanent data loss, and putting students and faculty at increased risk of fraud.

About Reynella East College

Reynella East College is a school in southern Adelaide opened in 2011. It enrolls about 2,000 students from pre-school to year 12.