Akron Public Schools continues to work with cybersecurity experts to determine what caused a districtwide network outage in June that disrupted its summer school activities.
In an update issued on July 22, the district said it will offer free online identity protection and credit monitoring services to all district employees. The update said the move was being done “out of an abundance of caution.” Employees will receive information directly with details about the available services and enrollment process.
Nathan Ruyan, director of data and accountability for Akron Public Schools, told the Akron Beacon Journal on July 10 that district information technology staff became aware of an abnormality on June 23 that temporarily impacted the district’s network. He said the staff promptly took steps to isolate the threat, secure the network and ensure operational safety.
The outage, which the district has since called a “cyber incident,” caused all district buildings to close and summer school activities to be canceled on June 24. Most buildings reopened the following day, with online-dependent programs, such as the high school credit recovery program, affected longer.
Third graders participating in the district’s summer reading academy were among the students who were temporarily relocated during the outage. They were taken by bus to the University of Akron’s campus so they could access the online third grade reading test, which helps determine whether they can move on to fourth grade.
District employees have since been instructed to change their passwords for district-issued accounts.
Ruyan said the ongoing forensic investigation into the outage is being led by third-party specialists and is expected to help determine how the network was initially accessed and whether any unauthorized access to personal information occurred. He said the district cannot identify the firms hired for the investigation nor provide the costs associated, due to the confidential nature of the investigation.
Ruyan declined to comment on any potential long-term impact the outage may have on the district until the investigation is complete.
Reach Akron Beacon Journal education writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kweir@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron schools to offer staff credit monitoring after cyber incident
Reporting by Kelli Weir, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Kelli Weir, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
