Highline Public Schools shuts down campuses after a cyberattack

The K-12 district in Washington state, Highline Public Schools, has closed all of its campuses and cancelled school activities after a cyberattack resulted in the hijacking of its information systems.

The district announced earlier this week that all schools would stay closed and that all events, including athletics and meetings, would be cancelled on September 9. However, the district’s central office will remain operational, and employees have been asked to report for work.

School administrators should also be alert, as they may be summoned to assist on campus if necessary.

 

The Highline Public Schools was shut down due to an unsanctioned activity within its tech systems.

 

Based on reports, the Highline Public School explained that its security team has detected unauthorised activity on its technological systems and has taken immediate action to isolate critical systems.

Moreover, this academic institution collaborates closely with a third-party security provider and state and federal partners to recover and test its infected systems.

Still, despite the unexpected inconvenience, the school district has appreciated the consideration of the families affected by the shutdown. They also expressed the struggle to shut down the schools since it was the first day of kindergarten.

The academic institution also assured everyone that it would continue to investigate the cyberattack while schools were closed. It stated that it would notify the affected staff and family of any new details of the incident by next week.

The affected entity provides education to nearly 17,500 students across 34 schools in the towns of Normandy Park, SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, and White Center. Additionally, it is home to over 2,000 employees and offers programs ranging from early childhood education to college preparation.

No additional details have been revealed about the nature of the cyberattack, and it is unclear whether any personal information of staff or students was exposed or stolen during the event.

The attack on Highline Public Schools is the latest cybercriminal incident in the academic sector this year, especially in North America. Therefore, educational institutions should consider improving their cybersecurity capabilities to mitigate or prevent these looming threats in the cybercriminal landscape.