How California schools are fighting ransomware attacks
As ransomware attacks target them, some California schools are scrambling to respond while others have done little to protect themselves. Author: Zayna Syed | CalMatters Updated: 1:24 PM PDT July 20, 2021
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. Schools aren’t exactly known for their expansive budgets. Many struggle to pay for basic operations such as functioning air conditioning and employee salaries.
But this past year, cybercriminals have attacked a growing number of schools across California and the country. A handful of California schools, colleges and universities have experienced ransomware attacks, often with harsh consequences: Sierra College had some systems shut down during finals week, Newhall School District’s 10 elementary schools went a week without online school during the pandemic, and UC San Francisco paid a $1.14 million ransom.
Ransomware attacks: How California schools try to fight them
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Under Attack: California Schools Face Ransomware Threat
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Students sit with their laptop computers at St. Joseph Catholic School in La Puente, California on November 16, 2020.
(Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
Sixth-grade teacher Hilary Hall had just started teaching one Monday morning in September when her teacher’s group chats at Newhall School District exploded with confused messages. Teachers in the Santa Clarita school district located just north of Los Angeles were panicking.
While Hall had no issues logging onto her computer from home, many of her colleagues, connected to the school district’s server, were met with a mysterious pop-up message.
It said users wouldn’t be able to log into the server.
Sixth grade teacher Hilary Hall had just started teaching one Monday morning in September when her teacher’s group chats at Newhall School District exploded with confused messages. Teachers in the Santa Clarita school district located just north of Los Angeles were panicking. While Hall had no issues logging onto her computer from home, many of her colleagues, connected to the school district’s server, were met with a mysterious pop-up message. It said users wouldn’t be able to log into the server. People turned to Hall, co-president of the district’s teacher’s union, for information, but she didn’t know what was going on, either.