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Cyber Threat
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Ransomware victim Education

Institute of Culinary Education

Listed by Payoutsking on · organisation based in United States

ice.edu

Disclosed
Jul 7, 2025
Leak-site listing date
Threat group
Payoutsking
114 victims listed
Country
United States
#1 most targeted
Sector
Education

ThreatAI analysis

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

About the Payoutsking group

PayoutsKing is an active ransomware group observed through at least 2026 that has claimed attacks against a wide range of industries internationally — including Del Monte Foods and V. FRAAS — across the US, UK, Germany, and Ireland using standard double-extortion tactics. Payoutsking has listed 112 victims since April 2025.

Incident analysis

Institute of Culinary Education was listed by Payoutsking ransomware, a group with 114 victims recorded in this database. The listing appeared on the group's leak site on July 7, 2025.

Institute of Culinary Education 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.

Payoutsking 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files are encrypted, so the victim faces two demands at once — pay to restore access, and pay to keep stolen data unpublished.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 Institute of Culinary Education attacked by ransomware?

Yes. Institute of Culinary Education was listed as a victim of the Payoutsking ransomware group on July 7, 2025. 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 Institute of Culinary Education?

Institute of Culinary Education was attacked by Payoutsking ransomware. Payoutsking is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 114 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the Institute of Culinary Education ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on Institute of Culinary Education was disclosed on July 7, 2025. 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 Institute of Culinary Education ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from Institute of Culinary Education 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, Institute of Culinary Education likely held student and faculty personal data and academic records.

How can organisations protect against Payoutsking attacks?

To defend against Payoutsking 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.