ransomware

San Bernardino City Unified School District's Computer Network Crippled by Ransomware Attack

Hackers infected servers used by the San Bernardino City Unified School District with ransomware, making it one of the latest school districts to be targeted.

  • By Sherelle Black
  • October 30, 2019

San Bernardino City Unified School District is the latest district in the nation to have its computer network crippled by a ransomware attack.

The district announced the attack Oct. 20 with a pop-up message on the district’s website stating the hacker has locked access to district files and will not give up access until a ransom is paid, reported KABC.

SBCUSD Director of Communications and Community Relations Linda Bardere said it is against the district’s policy to disclose the ransom amount.

When students and staff returned to school the next day, faculty and staff were locked out of their emails and Wi-Fi and other tech-based tools were not able to be used.

“Some of our teachers do incorporate technology into their lessons, so they will not be able to move forward with those lesson plans,” Bardere said to The Sun. “This certainly is an inconvenience, but we are certain that our educators will be able to use the resources they have in the classroom to provide enriching educational activities until the issue is resolved.”

District officials said they are working to correct the problem.

“We are working with law enforcement and third-party companies to regain access to the system, and to bolster our defenses to prevent future attacks,” Bardere said.

The district did tweet that student and parent data remain secure and neither nutrition services or transportation have been impacted by the attack.


About the Author

Sherelle Black is a Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

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