Ransomware attack locks down Souderton Area School District systems

• No disruption is anticipated to the school calendar after the attack.
• The district's financial information is said to be secured since the financial systems are stored off-site.

The attack story: Soon after the beginning of the new school year, a cyberattack hit the computers of Souderton Area School District. According to school district officials, the attack was due to a ransomware.

Ransomware is a type of malware that typically locks down certain files on computers or servers and prohibits any access to those unless the victims make the ransom payment.

How the district officials responded: The authority of Souderton Schools has confirmed and clarified the incident as a ransomware attack. In response to the attack, the district-wide computer network was shut and disabled, and the internet connection was brought down, the district officials affirmed.

Adding to it, the officials said the incident may lead to some inconvenience as of now, but there is no threat to the safety of the data of students, staff, or the parents. They said that that the systems containing financial information are housed off-site and have not been affected. Every possible effort is being made to recover and restore the services.

What next: The source of the attack stays unclear as of now. District officials are working in tandem with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service, and a cyber-security firm to address the situation.

The school officials do not foresee any interruption to the school calendar. Meanwhile, students have been asked to shut off their school-issued devices and to return the devices to their school at the earliest.