UPDATED 1/3/18 to provide links to related news coverage. This incident was reported on the K-12 Cyber Incident Map (#284) on December 29, 2017.
In December 2017, Rockingham County (NC) Schools fell victim to a malware attack that completely shut down the district’s IT systems and infrastructure. On January 2, 2018, the district held a press conference – led by Superintendent Dr. Rodney Shotwell – to explain the incident, share lessons learned and next steps, and respond to questions from the media.
For those concerned about the practical implications of responding to a significant school cybersecurity incident (and associated costs), the press conference is a must watch.
When schools rely on technology for teaching, learning, and school operations, the impact of losing access to that technology can be significant.
Related news coverage:
- Tripwire: School District to Spend $314K on Rebuilding Servers after Malware Attack (1/3/18)
- The Locker Room: Rockingham County Schools email virus (1/3/18)
- WFMY: Getting Answers After Rockingham County Schools Malware Attack (1/2/18)
- WFMY: After Malware Attack, Rockingham County Schools Rebuilding Servers (1/2/18)
- WFMY: No Data Compromised In School Malware Attack (1/2/18)
- WFMY: Rockingham County School Servers Hacked (1/2/18)
- WXII: Malware attack targets Rockingham County school district (1/2/18)
- Rockingham Now: Email virus shuts down Rockingham County Schools computer servers (12/28/17)