Jefferson County Schools Victim of Ransomware Attack

The Jefferson County School System said it was the victim of a computer ransomware attack during spring break.

The school system said in a press release that its technology team “took immediate steps to stop the attack and notified state and local authorities.”

According to the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agencyransomware is “a type of malware designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and systems that depend on them unusable. Malicious actors then demand a ransom for decryption.”

Attackers also sometimes threaten to release sensitive data unless a ransom is paid.

The school system said initial investigations revealed no evidence that sensitive identification information had been breached.

“We will continue to investigate any potential data breach risk and notify stakeholders accordingly if discovered,” the press release reads. “We have engaged outside cybersecurity experts and law enforcement officials to help.”

The county said it uses multiple security protocols including filtering, firewalls and antivirus systems, which allowed them to catch the attack early.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have removed all network systems for a thorough investigation,” the system said. “These networks will be reconnected while we take steps to ensure that all traces of malware are gone.”