A cyberattack compelled the Des Moines (Iowa) Public School District to cancel classes earlier this week. The attack also rendered the district’s Internet and network services unavailable. According to an update from the school district, access to Infinite Campus and to phones has been restored; they planned to resume classes on Thursday, January 12.
Note
- Yay, DMPS is effectively back online. One expects the teacher workdays planned for next week will also be IT heads-down finish the cleanup days as well. DMPS also changed the dates of the semester to compensate for the days they cancelled classes. Make sure that if you’re impacted by cancelled classes at your school, you check for any changes in schedule, including semester and holiday schedule.
- More than a decade ago, school systems nationally migrated to online information sharing and reporting for both parents and students. Couple that with a limited IT and cybersecurity budget and they are an easy target for cybercriminals—principally ransomware gangs. The FY2022 State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program provides an opportunity for funding to implement a cybersecurity plan within school districts.
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