Ransomware attack on Burnaby School District exposes student and staff data

Hackers stole personal records of students and staff in a ransomware attack on Burnaby School District, including medical details and residency documents.

Burnaby School District hit by ransomware, student records compromised

Personal data belonging to students and staff in Burnaby, B.C., was stolen in a ransomware attack, the school district confirmed, as Vancouver Sun Crime reports. An unauthorized party accessed district systems and copied files containing sensitive personal information.

The district discovered the breach on Sept. 21 and moved quickly to contain it, notifying Burnaby RCMP and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C. Cybersecurity specialists were brought in to assist with the response.

The attack also disrupted district phone lines and knocked out access to MyEducation, an online portal housing attendance records, grades and report cards. Phone service was restored to schools and district offices on Sept. 28, with MyEducation access coming back online Oct. 1.

While the district described the overall impact as "limited" and said its most sensitive holdings remained secure, it warned that stolen files may include students' and parents' names, contact information, birthdates, school assignments, personal education numbers and bus routes.

Residency documents such as visas, permanent resident cards, leases and utility bills may also have been compromised. Also at risk are student assessments and medical records, including diagnoses and details about students receiving specialized learning assistance or support.

"While we acted quickly to respond to and contain the incident, some information and records were placed at risk," the district stated in an online notice and letters sent to parents and guardians.

As a precautionary measure, the district offered students and staff free registration with TransUnion's fraud alert database. It also urged families and guardians to treat any unusual communications — including messages appearing to come from the school district itself — with caution.

The district said it is continuing to investigate the full scope of the breach and reviewing security measures to prevent future incidents. Affected individuals will be notified as "reliable findings become available," including details on the types of information involved, associated risks and recommended next steps.

Burnaby is B.C.'s fourth-largest school district, serving approximately 27,000 students across 41 elementary schools and eight secondary schools.

Source: Vancouver Sun Crime