Districts Hit with Malware over Winter Break

Schools districts in both Washington state and Michigan suffered malware attacks during the winter break.

The Issaquah School District discovered its problem on Sunday, Dec. 22 and immediately turned off websites, email and other programs that were hosted in the district's own data center. Those services run from off-site (Skyward and MySchoolBucks.com) were not affected, according to local reporting. About a week later "most" of the programs had been restored.

"IT has been working around the clock to assess and restore system functionality carefully and methodically," the district stated on its website on Jan. 4. "Internet and email have been restored for the most part, although we do expect some systems to remain offline for a few weeks into the new year." As of Jan. 7, however, the district was still preventing personal computing devices from connecting to the network.

In Michigan, Richmond Community Schools was hit specifically with ransomware on Dec. 27. On its Facebook page, the district said that several servers had been hit, affecting "critical operating systems in the district, including but not limited to heating, telephones, copiers, and classroom technology."

According local reporting, hackers demanded payment of $10,000 in bitcoin and the school was forced to extend it holiday break for an additional two days, as administrators dealt with a "building problem" tied to the attack.

The school chose not to pay the ransom and told local media that it had reported the break-in to state and federal law enforcement. It also assured the community that "no student or staff information has been compromised."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • laptop displaying a red padlock icon sits on a wooden desk with a digital network interface background

    Reports Point to Domain Controllers as Prime Ransomware Targets

    A recent report from Microsoft reinforces warns of the critical role Active Directory (AD) domain controllers play in large-scale ransomware attacks, aligning with U.S. government advisories on the persistent threat of AD compromise.

  • laptop displaying a glowing digital brain and data charts sits on a metal shelf in a well-lit server room with organized network cables and active servers

    Cisco Unveils AI-First Approach to IT Operations

    At its recent Cisco Live 2025 event, Cisco introduced AgenticOps, a transformative approach to IT operations that integrates advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and collaboration across network, security, and application domains.

  • educators seated at a table with a laptop and tablet, against a backdrop of muted geometric shapes

    HMH Forms Educator Council to Inform AI Tool Development

    Adaptive learning company HMH has established an AI Educator Council that brings together teachers, instructional coaches and leaders from school district across the country to help shape its AI solutions.