WORCESTER, Mass. — A 19-year-old college student from Massachusetts is expected to plead guilty after allegedly hacking into the systems of two U.S. education technology companies and attempting to extort millions in ransom.
Matthew Lane, a student at Assumption University in Worcester, was charged with cyber extortion, unauthorized computer access, and aggravated identity theft, according to U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley.
Investigators say Lane used stolen login credentials to infiltrate the computer network of a major software and cloud storage provider used by school systems across the U.S. and internationally. While the company was not officially named in court documents, a source confirmed it was PowerSchool.
Lane allegedly threatened to release sensitive records—names, Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and even medical histories—of approximately 60 million students and 10 million teachers unless the company paid him $2.85 million in Bitcoin.
“Lane’s actions instilled fear in parents that their kids’ information had been leaked into the hands of criminals – all to put a notch in his hacking belt,” Foley said.
Lane also reportedly extorted $200,000 from a telecommunications firm last spring using similar threats.
“Matthew Lane apparently thought he found a way to get rich quick,” said Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “But this 19-year-old now stands accused of hiding behind a keyboard to steal and weaponize sensitive data.”
Lane, from Sterling, Massachusetts, has not yet had a plea hearing scheduled. His attorney did not respond to media requests for comment.
