GCSD suffers cyber attack, moves to remote learning

Guilderland High School

Guilderland High School

GUILDERLAND — In-person classes for Guilderland students in seventh through 12th grades will be postponed again on Tuesday as the district works to repair damage done by a cyber attack on its computer systems.

On Sunday night, Superintendent Marie Wiles sent an email to students and their families saying the attack was by “a threat actor group which used malware to encrypt certain GCSD systems throughout the district.”

She went on, “We are working diligently with specialists to investigate the incident, confirm its impact on our systems, and to restore full functionality as quickly as possible. Law enforcement and all other appropriate authorities were immediately notified.”

The district is also investigating to find out if “sensitive data” was affected by the attack.

“At this time,” Wiles wrote, “we have not confirmed that any sensitive data was compromised, but we will update you as more information becomes available.”

The goal, Wiles said, is to restore internet access by Tuesday.

In-person learners were taught remotely on Friday, April 23, because the system was down. On Friday evening, wiles sent an email saying that the district began experiencing “technical difficulties” on Thursday, April 22, and was working with specialists to “to investigate the source of this disruption, confirm its impact on our systems, and to restore full functionality as quickly as possible.”

Report cards scheduled to be released on Friday were delayed. Middle- and high-school students’ report cards will be available in eSchoolData on Monday. Elementary students’ report cards will be available on Tuesday.

Wiles wrote that it is safe for students to continue using school-issued Chromebooks and iPads, as these devices were not impacted.

The attack has also changed testing protocols.

The district is no longer able to offer remote-only students the opportunity to sit for the state exams in English and math but hopes to still offer tests in English for in-person students on Wednesday and Thursday.

“Thank you for your understanding and support during these challenging circumstances. …,” Wiles concluded. “Our technology team has been working nonstop to restore the system to full functionality and we’re grateful for their tireless efforts.”

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