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Cyber Threat
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Ransomware victim Education

Melland High

Listed by Kairos on · organisation based in United States

mellandhigh.co.uk

Disclosed
Dec 15, 2025
Leak-site listing date
Threat group
Kairos
107 victims listed
Country
United States
#1 most targeted
Sector
Education

ThreatAI analysis

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

About the Kairos group

Kairos is a data extortion group active since late 2024 that focuses solely on data theft with no encryption, primarily targeting small-to-mid-sized organizations in healthcare, manufacturing, and business services in the US, purchasing initial access from brokers and demanding Bitcoin payments. Kairos has listed 100 victims since June 2024.

Incident analysis

Melland High was listed by Kairos ransomware, a group with 107 victims recorded in this database. The listing appeared on the group's leak site on December 15, 2025.

Melland High is based in United States and operates in the Education sector. United States ranks #1 worldwide for ransomware disclosures, with 10,334 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.

Kairos 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files are encrypted, so the victim faces two demands at once — pay to restore access, and pay to keep stolen data unpublished.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 Melland High attacked by ransomware?

Yes. Melland High was listed as a victim of the Kairos ransomware group on December 15, 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 Melland High?

Melland High was attacked by Kairos ransomware. Kairos is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 107 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the Melland High ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on Melland High was disclosed on December 15, 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 Melland High ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from Melland High 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, Melland High likely held student and faculty personal data and academic records.

How can organisations protect against Kairos attacks?

To defend against Kairos 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.