Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 3-6-24

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MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
March 6, 2024
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE
I NEWS I 15
Cyberattack leaves Francis Howell School District without classes, internet
BY ROBIN SEATON JEFFERSON
A cyberattack disrupted the Francis
Howell School District computer systems
the week of Feb. 19, leading to the
decision by district officials to cancel
school for two days and for federal law
enforcement to get involved.
“I had hoped not to ever use the word
‘unprecedented’ again, but here we
are,” said Superintendent Dr. Kenneth
Roumpos in a video message on Feb. 23.
“We’re in another unique situation where
we’ve demonstrated that this district can
come together and work together to support
our students.”
The district’s schools moved to remote
learning on Feb. 20-21, after Roumpos
sent a letter to FHSD families and staff
stating that the district “observed unexpected
activity” within its network “that
disrupted the operability of certain computer
systems.”
“We have confirmed that we were the
victim of a cyberattack wherein malware
was used to encrypt certain systems,”
Roumpos wrote. “We notified federal
law enforcement and engaged thirdparty
computer specialists to investigate
the source of the attack and confirm any
impact on our systems and information.”
In the interim, Francis Howell put
its newly adopted alternative methods
of instruction system (AMI) in place.
According to the district’s website, AMI
can be used for up to 36 hours of lost
or canceled instructional time “due
to exceptional or emergency circumstances.”
All classwork and tasks, in the form
of prepared forms and assignments,
for AMI days were designed “with the
assumption that students do not have
access to computers or internet at home,”
the site says. Students were given paper
copies of the work in the fall.
All district schools re-opened for inperson
learning on Thursday, Feb. 22.
Roumpos said in his statement, that
the decision to utilize AMI days “was
less about teaching without technology
and more about ensuring that we could
keep all students safe and healthy while
in our care.”
He said during that time staff “were
working to check and confirm safety
systems such as key fobs, building
intercoms, exterior door intercoms, fire
alarms, HVAC systems and the like, as
well as ensuring that all schools have
access to emergency contact information,
bus routes, IEP and 504 plans, student
medical plans and other information necessary
to safely hold in-person learning.”
The St. Charles City-County Library
offered to print students’ AMI school
packets and any coursework during the
week of the incident and offered the use
of its computers and take-home laptops.
The United Methodist Church of the
Shepard served about 40 Francis Howell
families free lunch at the church on Feb.
21.
The district’s announcement about the
incident on its Facebook page garnered
nearly 300 comments and 188 shares
with concerned parents and others speaking
their minds and seeking answers
about the situation. Comments included
requests for after-action reports sharing
findings, those thanking the district for
the decision to close school for student
safety and concerns about information
that could have been gathered.
John McIntire, an information technology
systems administrator and secure
infrastructure specialist, said parents
have a right to be concerned about data.
“The impact of malware attacks on
school districts is much more than just
academic and could have dangerous
consequences,” McIntire said. “It is a
serious threat that can not only disrupt
education but also compromise data
while bringing harm to students and
staff. Schools collect and store large
amounts of sensitive personal data
such as health records, parent financial
information and social security numbers
which can be stolen, exposed by
hackers, and used for identity theft. If a
social security number is stolen from a
minor, it may be years before the theft
is known and the victim’s credit may be
tarnished or ruined before the breach is
discovered.”
McIntire said that any security breach
through malware or other means could
also result in ransomware attacks, where
a bad actor encrypts data so that the
victim or organization cannot decipher it
without paying a fee to the attacker. This
can result in financial and or data loss.
Jeanie Smith, communications manager
and a spokesperson for the district
said on Feb. 26 that there were no new
updates on what was compromised or
how long the district would be without
the internet. She said it is an ongoing
investigation.
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