N.J. district schools shuttered for 3 days over internet issue caused by ‘unauthorized third party’ - NJ.com

Schools successful 1 Gloucester County assemblage person been closed for the past 3 days due to the fact that of an net entree contented caused by “an unauthorized 3rd party,” according to schoolhouse officials.

Monroe Township Public Schools officials announced earlier this week that schools would beryllium closed connected Tuesday due to the fact that the territory would not person net access.

“The inability of schoolhouse administrators and unit to entree the net during the schoolhouse time would contiguous logistical and information concerns,” the territory stated successful a connection connected Monday.

Administrators were “made alert of a method contented that whitethorn effect successful the disconnection of the school’s net work for astatine slightest a information of the day” connected Tuesday, that announcement stated.

The closure continued Wednesday, past classes were canceled for Thursday. A connection sent to territory families by Superintendent Susan Ficke connected Wednesday stated that the method problems were caused by “an unauthorized 3rd party” and that “the probe and restoration stay ongoing.”

Officials person not said specially that territory machine systems were hacked, but acrophobic parents person taken to societal media with worries that idiosyncratic accusation of students and families whitethorn person been compromised.

The territory superintendent and committee of acquisition president did not instantly respond to calls from NJ Advance Media seeking remark connected Thursday.

An authoritative with the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that bureau was not progressive successful the matter.

Federal officials issued an alert successful September that ransomeware attacks against schools successful the United States could summation this fall. Los Angeles nationalist schools were targeted successful September, but officials with the FBI and Infrastructure Security Agency warned that smaller districts were the astir susceptible due to the fact that they person less resources to forestall an attack.

Monroe Township’s territory consists of six schools serving astir 6,000 students.

Per FBI policy, a spokeswoman for that bureau declined to corroborate oregon contradict immoderate probe related to the Monroe Township incident.

“However, the FBI takes each cyberattacks earnestly and erstwhile we larn astir intrusions, it’s customary that we connection our assistance successful these matters,” bureau spokesperson Carrie Adamowski said successful an email.

The Monroe territory has not announced if schools volition reopen connected Friday.

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Matt Gray whitethorn beryllium reached astatine mgray@njadvancemedia.com.

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