Highline Public Schools confirms ransomware attack

Recently the K-12 Highline Public Schools district confirmed that a ransomware attack forced it to close all schools in early September.

See also: CopySmart LLC fell victim to Ciphbit ransomware

Highline Public Schools has over 2,000 staff members and offers programs ranging from early childhood education to college preparation. They serve over 17,500 students in 34 schools in the communities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac and White Center in Washington State.

After discovering evidence of a ransomware attack on its network on September 7, the Highline Public Schools district was forced to close all schools and cancel school activities.

Highline's main office remained open and staff were instructed to report to work. The district also began investigating the impact of the attack and working to restore systems with the help of third-party, state and federal partners.

Highline Public Schools are still offline

The district is still rebuilding affected network systems to get back online and says it will begin re-imaging all student and staff devices starting October 14.

See also: Four people arrested in connection with LockBit ransomware

The only devices that will not require Re-imaging are Chromebooks and Apple devices , although technical staff and students will need to first reset their passwords before using them.

There are no other details about last month’s ransomware attack on Highline Public Schools, and it is currently unclear whether any personal information belonging to staff or students was exposed or stolen in the incident. However, as a precautionary measure, the district is providing all Highline employees with free credit and identity monitoring services for one year.

The ransomware attack on the Highline Public Schools network is the latest in a series of cyberattacks that have affected school districts and systems across North America and globally.

For example, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) – the fourth-largest school board in North America and the largest in Canada – warned in June that it had been hit by a ransomware attack that affected its software testing environment.

See also: Texas UMC health center hit by Ransomware attack

Ransomware is one of the most threatening forms of malware targeting computer systems. It works by encrypting a user’s data and demanding a ransom to restore it. Ransomware attacks can have devastating consequences for businesses and individuals, as they can lead to data loss, business disruption, and financial losses. The best way to protect against such attacks is to adopt security strategies, such as regular backups and educating users on cybersecurity best practices.

Source: bleepingcomputer