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Ransomware Victim Education

qatar.vcu.edu

Ransomware attack by Dispossessor ยท Disclosed July 29, 2024 ยท ๐Ÿ‡ถ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Qatar

qatar.vcu.edu

Date Disclosed
Jul 29, 2024
2024
Threat Group
Dispossessor
344 total victims
Country
๐Ÿ‡ถ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Qatar
Industry
Education

Incident Analysis

qatar.vcu.edu was targeted by Dispossessor ransomware, one of the most active ransomware groups in our database with 344 confirmed victims globally. The attack was disclosed on July 29, 2024, when qatar.vcu.edu appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

qatar.vcu.edu is based in Qatar , operating in the Education sector. Qatar ranks #73 globally for ransomware attacks, with 14 victims in our 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.

Dispossessor typically employs a double extortion model: first exfiltrating sensitive data from the victim's systems, then deploying ransomware to encrypt files. Victims face two simultaneous threats โ€” paying to restore access and paying to prevent publication of stolen data. The group's leak site publishes victim names and exfiltrated data as leverage.

Data source: This incident record is sourced from public ransomware group leak site disclosures aggregated via the ransomware.live API. Disclosure date reflects when the victim was published on the leak site, which may differ from the initial date of compromise. This platform does not publish or link to stolen data. Last data update: Jun 10, 2026 12:01 UTC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was qatar.vcu.edu attacked by ransomware?

Yes. qatar.vcu.edu was listed as a victim of the Dispossessor ransomware group on July 29, 2024. The organisation is based in Qatar and operates in the Education sector. The disclosure appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Which ransomware group attacked qatar.vcu.edu?

qatar.vcu.edu was attacked by Dispossessor ransomware. Dispossessor is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 344 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the qatar.vcu.edu ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on qatar.vcu.edu was disclosed on July 29, 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 qatar.vcu.edu ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from qatar.vcu.edu 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, qatar.vcu.edu likely held student and faculty personal data and academic records.

How can organisations protect against Dispossessor attacks?

To defend against Dispossessor 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.