Massachusetts school system cancels classes after 'Level 4' cyberattack
Thousands of students had their classes canceled this week in Springfield, Massachusetts, after the school board's computer systems were hit with a cyberattack, officials said.
Classes were closed until Monday as federal, state and local law enforcement investigate the "Level 4" cybersecurity incident that "blocked the district's ability to access certain online programs," Springfield Public Schools said.
Among the affected systems was access to students' medical records, according to SPS, one of the largest school systems in Massachusetts, with over 23,000 students.
"Without access to that program, nurses cannot access information to dispense medication, address, allergies, and more," SPS said in a statement.
The incident began on Sept. 1, a week after the new school year began, and then escalated over the weekend as "an outside group gained access to the SPS network," the school district said.
The breach also blocked the district from accessing email, phones and computers, according to SPS.
Sonia Dinnall, the SPS Superintendent, told reporters on Wednesday that the decision to close schools during the first week of classes was not made lightly.
"We have been very strategic, very intentional, collaborating with all of the partners that we brought on board to support us through this situation, and recommendations have come in from a variety of sources and experts and specialists and we've arrived to the conclusion that we need a little bit more time," she said.
Dinnall noted that officials haven't yet determined if student or staff data was compromised.
The investigation is ongoing.
