Des Moines Public Schools has closed classes for two days following a suspected ransomware attack on its servers. This attack extends the school year.
District officials say significant progress has been made in restoring systems after the cybersecurity breach was discovered on January 9. This includes regaining access to Infinite Campus and making sure your phone works. Infinite Campus is a web-based student information portal that allows families to view academic information and student records such as grades and attendance.
However, the 30,000 students in Iowa’s largest school district have been told to expect an offline learning experience with limited access to internet and network resources and no Wi-Fi until further notice.
“Operations and building staff will take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of the building,” the district said in a release.
The cyber attack added the Des Moines school to the list of targeted school districts in Iowa and across the country.
Here’s what we know:
When did Des Moines Public Schools discover the cybersecurity attack?
At a press conference Tuesday, the district’s IT staff were first alerted to the problem at 8:45 am on Monday, interim superintendent Matt Smith said. IT staff shut down the district’s servers, Internet, and network to limit the impact.
District servers appear to be the only systems affected.
Was this a ransomware attack?
An investigation is ongoing, but Des Moines Public Schools officials are treating the incident as a ransomware attack. There is no timeline for when the investigation will end.
In a video posted on the DMPS YouTube channel on Wednesday, Smith said the evidence had been turned over to the district’s cyber insurance company.
In the case of ransomware, businesses and schools pay ransoms to regain control of their systems or prevent personal information from being leaked.
District officials have not disclosed whether the district received a ransom demand or whether the ransom was paid.
Who is helping the Des Moines School District investigate the attack?
District IT staff works with cyber insurance companies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and local offices of the Department of Homeland Security.
Do you have stolen data?
Authorities won’t know until the type of attack on the district’s systems is determined.
Will Des Moines Public Schools Close Again?
As of Wednesday, DMPS classes are scheduled to resume on Thursday morning, and IT staff “have made significant progress in restoring many systems,” district officials said.
Related:Des Moines Public Schools reopen Thursday after ransomware attack
Why were classes canceled?
Taking the district’s servers and Internet network offline impacted not only classes, but access to bus routes, food and nutrition systems, and critical student documents, so classes were held for two days. was canceled.
“We are working to recover[the network]safely. All of these areas can be compromised,” said Smith.
Will it affect the end of the semester?
The first semester was scheduled to end on Friday, but it will end on January 20th. The second semester begins on January 23rd.
Should DMPS make up for lost school days?
yes. To make up for lost school hours, the school district will extend her school year through June 2nd. The school year was originally scheduled to end on her May 31st for the student.
Before:Des Moines Public Schools Cancel Tuesday Classes After Cybersecurity Attack
Have other Iowa school districts dealt with cybersecurity attacks?
Yes, Des Moines schools join the list of Iowa schools that have experienced cybersecurity attacks, including Glenwood Community School District, Cedar Rapids Community School District, Lynn Ma Community School District, and Davenport Community School District.
In July 2019, Glenwood paid a $10,000 ransom after hackers encrypted student data, including schedules, contacts, and demographic information, making it inaccessible to administrators.
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