Prince George County Public Schools in Virginia has experienced a significant cybersecurity incident impacting its technology network. The school district’s superintendent, Dr. Wayne Lyle, shared this important information with families and its employees. The incident was first identified by the district over the long Independence Day holiday weekend. Upon discovery of the issue, the school district took immediate action to contain the security incident. It also activated its established response protocols and engaged leading cybersecurity professionals to provide some assistance.
Fortunately, this cyberattack occurred while all school buildings are closed for the annual summer break period. This timing allows the technology team the time and space to focus fully on its remediation efforts. These efforts can be conducted without disrupting classroom learning for the students of the school district. At this time, critical safety infrastructure within the schools remains fully operational, including all security systems. Building access controls and the school district’s main phone lines are also currently fully operational.
Some of the district’s internal systems have been taken offline out of an abundance of caution.
This is being done while the district conducts a deliberate and secure restoration process for its network. The systems that have been taken offline include the school district’s primary email server for all staff. For the staff, this means they will not be able to send or receive emails for the time being. For families who need to reach a member of staff, they should call the school directly.
Cyber incidents are an unfortunate and growing challenge for institutions of all sizes, including public school systems.
The school district is treating this as an opportunity to further strengthen its safeguards and future resilience. The district deeply values the confidence that its families, staff, and the community place in the school system. As the investigation continues, the district will share verified updates and relevant information as it becomes available. The superintendent will be in touch with an update as new information becomes available to the public.
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