The Los Angeles Unified School District said in a Monday announcement that the school district had been affected by a ransomware attack on its IT infrastructure but that it would not affect classes in the district.
The school district said it had “detected unusual activity” throughout its IT systems, which the district subsequently confirmed was an “external cyber attack” that was “likely criminal in nature.”
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“While we do not expect major technical issues that will prevent Los Angeles Unified from providing instruction and transportation, food or Beyond the Bell services, business operations may be delayed or modified,” the district said in a statement. “Based on a preliminary analysis of critical business systems, employee healthcare and payroll are not impacted, nor has the cyber incident impacted safety and emergency mechanisms in place at schools.”
“Los Angeles Unified has swiftly implemented a response protocol to mitigate districtwide disruptions, including access to email, computer systems and applications,” the statement read.
The district said it had contacted the federal government and that the White House had directed several agencies, including the Department of Education, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security, to “provide rapid, incident response support to Los Angeles Unified.”
The district said that local law enforcement agencies have also responded and provided support.
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“We will continue to benefit from the declared assistance of federal and state law enforcement entities to assist with investigative procedures and technical deployment and solutions. Presently, federal investigative and technical experts are working on-site, collaboratively, with the Information Technology Division,” the district said. “Los Angeles Unified has initiated immediate adjustments to ensure this District is able to deliver what our Board, community, teachers, students and parents have come to expect, an excellent educational experience for all.”
