MISHAWAKA — After Penn-Harris-Madison schools reported a network breach on Monday, March 3, district officials said they've been working with two cyber security firms to locate and contain the malware, confirming that no student Social Security numbers were compromised.
What sort of attack is it?
In an email sent to PHM families, the district said the ransomware is Windows-based, targeting documents and files saved on the district's network drives and desktop computers. As a result, the email said, the malware affected only desktop computers and laptops connected to the PHM network, not Chromebooks.
WiFi and internet disruptions
In an earlier email, officials said the district had experienced some WiFi and internet interruptions. The latest update reports those have been resolved, though officials are still limiting access to some external websites, and some PHM websites may experience intermittent connectivity issues while the district continues to work on server repairs.
No Social Security numbers affected
The latest email also stated that since PHM does not collect student Social Security numbers, they were not compromised in the breach. And since most PHM teachers work within the Google cloud, it said, they have been minimally affected.
Standardized testing
Officials said IREAD standardized testing began in some of the district's elementary schools on Tuesday, but they did not experience any problems due to the incident. The email said SAT and PSAT testing is scheduled for Wednesday, and officials are working to make sure Penn High School teachers have the technology they need to proctor those tests.