Page 20 - The Edge - Fall 2018

SUMMER CONFERENCE WRAP-UP

BY DON HARRIS
Schools Are Targets of Cyber Attacks

— A Response Plan Can Ease the Pain

Cyber attacks on school systems are increasing nationwide, • In California, a
which emphasizes the need for heightened security measures high-school junior
and detailed advance planning. hacked into his school
It’s not a case of if your school will be attacked, but when, district’s computer
said Ruth Unks, President of Timberland Consulting, in a network and copied
breakout session at AASBO’s Summer Conference and Expo. students’ Social
Other presenters on the topic of developing a cyber incident Security numbers and
response plan for your district were David Sanders, Chief other confidential
Technology Officer, Mesa Public Schools, and Ted LeSueur, information. District David Sanders Ruth Unks
Chief Information Security Officer, Arizona School Risk officials had no choice but to send letters to all families advising
Retention Trust. them to take measures to protect their children’s records from
Unks displayed an example of what looked like a notice from possible fraud.
Microsoft in 2017 directing Denver public school employees • In Ohio, a 13-year-old deleted student records from a
to reset their passwords. It was a phishing attempt. Thirty school district’s electronic reading program. School officials
employees did as they were directed, and the thieves got away found themselves in trouble as well when it was revealed the
with $40,000, Unks said. district had failed to back up the files onto a separate server.
Here are other examples of schools hit by cyber criminals:
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20 THE EDGE | FALL 2018