Technology concerns force Monday shutdown of Rochester, Minn., public schools
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Updated: 3:10 p.m.
Rochester Public Schools have canceled classes Monday while they investigate unusual activity on the school's technology network.
The district discovered what it calls "irregular activity" on Thursday and limited access to computer networks on Friday while it investigated the incident.
“Our technology staff have since been working non-stop with third party experts to investigate and address this situation,” the district said in a statement.
With the school system’s internet and technology shut off, the district said holding classes and providing school services on Monday would be difficult. The district says all staff are required to report to their schools for a meeting Monday morning. They will plan classes for Tuesday that can go ahead without technology and internet access.
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Doug Levin, director of the K-12 Security Information Exchange — a national non-profit organization focused on protecting schools and state education agencies from emerging cybersecurity threats — said schools rely heavily on the internet for reasons that go beyond teaching.
“It may also control things like the bell schedule, the communication systems between the school district and at home. And it may actually also be connected to any physical security systems in the building,” he said.
It's not yet clear what irregular activity the district noticed, but Levin said the Rochester situation fits a pattern of cyber attacks against school districts his organization is seeing multiple times a week, around the country, including a recent ransomware attack against Minneapolis Public Schools.
“Increasingly, when a school district is a victim of a ransomware incident, they've had to shut down for one or more days as they go through their recovery process.”
Levin said school districts are increasingly the victim of cyber attacks because they often manage large amounts of money, collect troves of personal information about staff and students, and have weak cybersecurity systems.
The school will still hold sports and extracurricular activities on Monday, and it will operate its student age childcare program, as it would on an inclement weather day.
“We regret the impact that not having students report on Monday will have on our families and we also regret needing to share this information during what for many of our families is a holiday weekend and at the end of spring break,” Superintendent Kent Pekel said in a message to families. “We ask for your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”
This comes after a computer system hack in Minneapolis Public Schools, which resulted in student data being posted online. Minneapolis did not cancel schools during its investigation into the hack.