Public schools in Baltimore County, Maryland, will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday as officials continue to respond to a ransomware attack that forced the cancellation of remote learning sessions prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.
The attack, which was first detected last Tuesday evening, impacted the county’s websites and learning programs, as well as grading and emailing systems.
Schools subsequently closed Wednesday for the area’s roughly 115,000 students. The district announced Saturday that those closures would continue through this Tuesday. The district additionally warned that students should refrain from using any Windows-based devices it had issued “until further notice.”
The county school district is currently using a model of entirely remote learning that will remain in effect until at least January, after which it will allow students the opportunity to be taught in-person on a part-time basis.
The global coronavirus pandemic has forced many school systems online in a way that creates ample targets for cyberattacks, given the generally low-security reinforcements being used by most school systems…
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