TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) – The Tucson Unified School District released a statement Tuesday, Jan. 31, days after its computers were hacked and data compromised.
TUSD, southern Arizona’s largest school district, was hit by a ransomware attack over the weekend.
Andy Taylor, CEO of TechTalk Radio, said an attack like this can spread through a system by someone simply clicking on an untrustworthy link. The hackers have claimed the district’s data has been allegedly copied and can be published online, where anyone will be able to see it.
TUSD’s full statement can be read below.
Protecting the security and privacy of personal information is of the utmost importance to Tucson Unified School District.
Early Monday morning we experienced a data security incident, which impacted some of our systems. Upon learning of the issue, we immediately commenced an investigation and began working with national external cybersecurity experts who regularly analyze these types of incidents. The forensic investigation is in its early stages and is ongoing. We appreciate the patience of our community as we take essential steps to secure our network and ensure confidential information remains safe.
TUSD schools are fully functioning and students have access to the tools they need to continue their learning and stay on track. We greatly appreciate our staff working with us to develop alternative learning plans and using hotspots, as needed until the systems are fully restored.
Tucson Unified School District is taking this matter very seriously and continues to take significant measures to protect the information that we maintain. We apologize for the inconvenience; we will provide updates as the investigation and restoration process continues. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to get all systems back to normal.
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