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Cyber Threat
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Ransomware victim Education

Dordt University

Listed by Bianlian on · organisation based in United States

dordt.edu

Disclosed
Jun 13, 2024
Leak-site listing date
Threat group
Bianlian
201 victims listed
Country
United States
#1 most targeted
Sector
Education

ThreatAI analysis

Compiled from this incident record and the threat intelligence profile for Bianlian. Figures and technique mappings are quoted from the source data, not inferred.

About the Bianlian group

BianLian ransomware operations began in late 2021. The group practices multi-pronged extortion, demanding payment for a decryptor, as well as the non-release of stolen data. The ransomware group hosts a public, TOR-based, blog to post victim identities and stolen data. Somewhat unique to BianLian at the time of their launch was their inclusion of an I2P mirror for their blog. Bianlian has listed 552 victims since July 2022.

How Bianlian is documented to operate

Command and Scripting Interpreter T1059 Execution

Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries. These interfaces and languages provide ways of interacting with computer systems and are a common feature across many different platforms. Most systems come with some built-in command-line interface and scripting capabilities, for example, macOS and Linux distributions include some flavor of Unix Shell while Windows installations include the Windows Command Shell and PowerShell. There are also cross-platform interpreters such as Python, as well as those commonly associated with client applications such as JavaScript and Visual Basic.

Mitigations: Restrict Web-Based Content, Limit Software Installation, Execution Prevention, Code Signing, Behavior Prevention on Endpoint, Privileged Account Management

MITRE ATT&CK reference
User Execution T1204 Execution

An adversary may rely upon specific actions by a user in order to gain execution. Users may be subjected to social engineering to get them to execute malicious code by, for example, opening a malicious document file or link. These user actions will typically be observed as follow-on behavior from forms of Phishing. While User Execution frequently occurs shortly after Initial Access it may occur at other phases of an intrusion, such as when an adversary places a file in a shared directory or on a user's desktop hoping that a user will click on it. This activity may also be seen shortly after Internal Spearphishing.

Mitigations: Network Intrusion Prevention, Restrict Web-Based Content, Limit Software Installation, User Training, Execution Prevention, Behavior Prevention on Endpoint

MITRE ATT&CK reference
Software Packing T1027.002 Stealth

Adversaries may perform software packing or virtual machine software protection to conceal their code. Software packing is a method of compressing or encrypting an executable. Packing an executable changes the file signature in an attempt to avoid signature-based detection. Most decompression techniques decompress the executable code in memory. Virtual machine software protection translates an executable's original code into a special format that only a special virtual machine can run. A virtual machine is then called to run this code. Utilities used to perform software packing are called packers. Example packers are MPRESS and UPX.

Mitigations: Antivirus/Antimalware

MITRE ATT&CK reference
Masquerading T1036 Stealth

Adversaries may attempt to manipulate features of their artifacts to make them appear legitimate or benign to users and/or security tools. Masquerading occurs when the name or location of an object, legitimate or malicious, is manipulated or abused for the sake of evading defenses and observation. This may include manipulating file metadata, tricking users into misidentifying the file type, and giving legitimate task or service names. Renaming abusable system utilities to evade security monitoring is also a form of Masquerading.

Mitigations: User Training, Execution Prevention, Code Signing, Behavior Prevention on Endpoint, User Account Management, Restrict File and Directory Permissions

MITRE ATT&CK reference
Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion T1497 Stealth Discovery

Adversaries may employ various means to detect and avoid virtualization and analysis environments. This may include changing behaviors based on the results of checks for the presence of artifacts indicative of a virtual machine environment (VME) or sandbox. If the adversary detects a VME, they may alter their malware to disengage from the victim or conceal the core functions of the implant. They may also search for VME artifacts before dropping secondary or additional payloads. Adversaries may use the information learned from Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion during automated discovery to shape follow-on behaviors.

MITRE ATT&CK reference
System Information Discovery T1082 Discovery

An adversary may attempt to get detailed information about the operating system and hardware, including version, patches, hotfixes, service packs, and architecture. Adversaries may use this information to shape follow-on behaviors, including whether or not the adversary fully infects the target and/or attempts specific actions. This behavior is distinct from Local Storage Discovery which is an adversary's discovery of local drive, disks and/or volumes. Tools such as Systeminfo can be used to gather detailed system information. If running with privileged access, a breakdown of system data can be gathered through the <codesystemsetup</code configuration tool on macOS.

MITRE ATT&CK reference

MITRE ATT&CK techniques attributed to Bianlian across its recorded activity, not a finding about how Dordt University was reached.

Incident analysis

Dordt University was listed by Bianlian ransomware, a group with 201 victims recorded in this database. The listing appeared on the group's leak site on June 13, 2024.

Dordt University is based in United States and operates in the Education sector. United States ranks #1 worldwide for ransomware disclosures, with 10,151 victims in this database.

Sector context. Educational institutions often have under-resourced IT security teams and hold large amounts of student and faculty personal data, making them attractive targets for ransomware groups.

Bianlian typically follows a double extortion model: data is exfiltrated from the victim's systems before files are encrypted, so the victim faces two demands at once — pay to restore access, and pay to keep stolen data unpublished. The leak site, where this listing appeared, is the lever for the second demand.

Source. Public leak-site disclosures aggregated via the ransomware.live API. The disclosure date is when the listing was published, which can differ from the date of compromise. This site does not publish or link to stolen data. Last updated .

Frequently asked questions

Was Dordt University attacked by ransomware?

Yes. Dordt University was listed as a victim of the Bianlian ransomware group on June 13, 2024. The organisation is based in United States and operates in the Education sector. The disclosure appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Which ransomware group attacked Dordt University?

Dordt University was attacked by Bianlian ransomware. Bianlian is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 201 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the Dordt University ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on Dordt University was disclosed on June 13, 2024. This date reflects when the victim was published on the threat group's leak site, which may differ from the actual date of initial compromise.

What data was stolen in the Dordt University ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from Dordt University has not been independently verified by this platform. Ransomware groups typically exfiltrate data before encrypting systems and use the threat of publication to pressure victims. As a Education organisation, Dordt University likely held student and faculty personal data and academic records.

How can organisations protect against Bianlian attacks?

To defend against Bianlian and similar threat actors, organisations should: maintain regular offline backups tested for restoration; implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement; deploy multi-factor authentication on all remote access; use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools; conduct regular phishing and security awareness training; and monitor threat intelligence feeds for indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with active groups.