A confirmed ransomware attack has forced the Minersville Area School District to cancel classes for a third day on Thursday while administrators and cybersecurity specialists work to secure the district’s computer network.
Superintendent Michael Maley announced the district took its network offline on Monday. In a conversation with The Canary on Wednesday, Maley said the district’s Sentinel1 anti-virus software alerted officials to the issue.
While the district initially announced a one-day closure for Tuesday, the disruption has now necessitated closing schools for a third day in a row. Right now, it’s unknown if classes will resume on Friday.
Maley says the district won’t open schools again until its server and data are clear of any cyber threats. Unfortunately, that has to be on a day-by-day basis.
The closure affects students at the Junior/Senior High School, the Elementary Center, and Llewellyn. However, the district noted that transportation will still be provided at normally scheduled times for students attending the Schuylkill Technology Center, the Intermediate Unit, and alternative schools.
After-school activities are continuing as scheduled through the shutdown.
“We are now working with cybersecurity specialists to help us understand what happened before bringing our systems back online,” Maley stated in a letter to parents and guardians.
In a memo to parents, the district identified the incident as ransomware. Ransomware is a type of software that generally locks a computer system until the end-user agrees to pay money to resolve the situation.
The Canary has learned Federal law enforcement is currently investigating the cyber attack.
Cyber Attack Response
Maley says once Sentinel1 discovered the security breach, it immediately began performing its own safety procedures. Further, Minersville Area’s technology department began taking proactive and reactive measures to limit the potential spread of the malware. Systems were taken offline.
Minersville Area carries a cyber insurance policy which gives it access to a cyber coach and Maley says they’ve been helpful in the district’s response to this incident, walking it through the protocols.
He understands the frustration some parents have been expressing online but assures them that the district is doing everything to ensure the school can reopen safely.
Maley said the ransomware attack is affect school systems more than it is any educational software. He said staff could “easily go back to paper, pencils, and books” to resume classes.
However, the ransomware attack is impacting security of the daily operations of school buildings, like phone systems, student management, and attendance records.
“I am cognizant that parents are concerned. It’s my information and my daughter’s, too. We are doing everything we can. I don’t want to interrupt the educational process,” Maley tells The Canary. “As we make these decisions, we make them like it’s our children as well. it’s what’s best for all the students involved.”
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