St. Mary schools shut down internet, check for hacks

St. Mary Parish public schools apparently weren't targeted by the cyberattack that hit four Louisiana school systems since last week. But the local schools are being affected anyway.
The school system, about a week away from the opening of 2019-20 classes, has shut down its internet access while it joins other Louisiana schools in steps to make sure their tech is safe.
Gov. John Bel Edwards declared an emergency last week after the cyberattacks were reported at schools in Sabine, Morehouse and Ouachita parishes. This week, Tangipahoa Superintendent Melissa Stilley said officials discovered what she called “activity” on the school’s network similar to what the north Louisiana schools experienced.
Details about the nature of the attack have been sketchy. But The Associated Press characterized the attacks as “severe, intentional cybersecurity breaches” that involved malware and ransomware.
Malware is the general term for software that can get into a computer through a network or other method and damage it without the user’s consent. Ransomware usually blocks access to data or allows a hacker to threaten to destroy or expose sensitive data unless a ransom is paid.
St. Mary Superintendent Teresa Bagwell said it doesn’t appear that the St. Mary Parish system was hacked.
But the district has to follow a state protocol to check the system, which involves six phases “and requires us to bring our internet down for the duration of completing each phase,” Bagwell said. “We are anticipating that it will be down at least a few days.”
Schools rely on internet access for a variety of work, including administration, data collection, grading and communication.
The new school year begins Aug. 8.
The governor’s emergency declaration “makes available state resources and allows for assistance from cybersecurity experts from the Louisiana National Guard, Louisiana State Police, the Office of Technology Services and others to assist local governments in responding to and preventing future data loss,” the Governor’s Office said in a press release.
The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has activated its Crisis Action Team and also the Emergency Services Function-17 to coordinate the response to this cybersecurity incident. So far, the state is coordinating with the FBI, state agencies and higher education partners.
“The state was made aware of a malware attack on a few north Louisiana school systems and we have been coordinating a response ever since,” Edwards said. “This is exactly why we established the Cyber Security Commission, focused on preparing for, responding to and preventing cybersecurity attacks, and we are well-positioned to assist local governments as they battle this current threat.”
In 2017, Edwards established the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission which is a statewide partnership comprised of key stakeholders, subject matter experts, and cybersecurity professionals from Louisiana’s public sector, private industry, academia, and law en forcement.
This is the first activation of Louisiana’s emergency support function relating to cybersecurity, which is newly created in Louisiana, in anticipation of the threat of cyber attacks.