Baltimore County School Superintendent Angers Council Over Lack Of Ransomware Details

The Baltimore County Council grilled School Superintendent Darryl Williams Tuesday over details about November’s ransomware attack.

Council members were not happy with Williams’ answers.

Democratic County Councilman Tom Quirk asked Williams if the school system paid off the hackers and if so, would insurance cover it. Williams’ answer dealt with the overall cost of the ransomware attack.

“I won’t have those final amounts until later in spring, maybe May or June,” Williams said.

So, Quirk asked again.

“I guess the direct question is did Baltimore County Public Schools pay ransom? It’s just a direct question.”

Williams responded, “We’ve used our resources to help us repair and restore.”

Quirk said he wants an answer on whether a ransom was paid before the council signs off on the school system’s budget this spring. The public schools account for about half of the county’s $3.8 billion spending plan.

“I’m not prepared to vote on the budget until we have a better answer on that one,” Quirk said...

https://www.wypr.org/post/baltimore-county-school-superintendent-angers-council-over-lack-ransomware-details?fbclid=IwAR3PYTsumCY6xWzttkFkwx1VzHP6EGN5uZ-AJVJV00qNpi1Qv7aWjhvaDyQ

With data presumed unrecoverable, Baltimore County Schools scramble to recover from cyber attack

 

With student transcripts, ID numbers, state test scores and more apparently destroyed, the hackers’ stranglehold on student data is far worse that school officials have acknowledged

Baltimore County Schools won praise for restarting student learning after last month’s cyber attack. But behind the scenes, the system is still reeling from the assault, including its devastating impact on students’ educational records.

Some student records are “presumed completely unrecoverable,” a Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) employee with information about the attack’s impact told The Brew.

“SIS [the Student Information System] is toast,” said the employee, who spoke under the condition of anonymity...

...It was a fast comeback for the district, but numerous practical problems remained, among them a complication for school staff who are required by law to report suspected child abuse to authorities.

With student directory information missing – coupled with staff working from home – employees have found themselves scrambling to obtain phone numbers and addresses for the children they are required to help...

https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2020/12/18/with-data-presumed-unrecoverable-baltimore-county-schools-scramble-to-recover-from-cyber-attack/

[County Exec] Olszewski Troubled By Contact Made With BCPS Hackers Without Consulting Police

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski sent a scathing letter Friday to the county school superintendent, charging his response to the November 24 cyberattack on the school system has been disjointed and ineffective.

In the letter to Superintendent Darryl Williams, obtained by WYPR, Olszewski accuses school officials of not fully cooperating with the county police department in its criminal investigation. In the letter, Olszewski said law enforcement was not involved in a decision by the school system or its third party consultants to contact the attackers...

https://www.wypr.org/post/olszewski-troubled-contact-made-bcps-hackers-without-consulting-police?fbclid=IwAR0cK0JY3FpT4PdCd--etyZHZ3PmdPA7DkGhv1xI7AZLnprKQu1qRarI2JQ

Baltimore County Public Schools ransomware by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Baltimore County executive says school officials are refusing to provide information about ransomware attack

 Baltimore County school officials have refused to share information with local police, the county attorney and state information technology experts about the catastrophic cyberattack that hit its systems last month, County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said Friday.

In a highly critical letter sent to schools Superintendent Darryl Williams, the Democratic county executive called it “troubling” that school officials are not cooperating with county police, who want access to third-party consultants retained by the county school system to analyze the ransomware attack.

Also, “law enforcement was not involved in the decision made by either BCPS or its third party consultants to contact the attackers,” Olszewski wrote.

School officials have repeatedly declined to comment on whether they are in communication with the hackers.

In a letter responding to the county executive, Williams said his team has been communicating with the FBI “throughout the process.”..

https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-county/bs-md-co-letter-superintendent-20201212-24akcxywgnfwxgsfdu4kpyoz4y-story.html

WBAL: Olszewski calls out BCPS superintendent on ransomware; Williams responds

TOWSON, Md. —

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski sent a scathing letter to the school superintendent over the handling of the ransomware cyberattack.

Olszewski is calling out Superintendent Darryl Williams for not taking the help he offered in the days after a ransomware cyberattack hit the district and, the county executive asserts, for not cooperating with the police. Williams disputed the county executive's assertions in his own letter.

 https://www.wbaltv.com/article/baltimore-county-public-schools-not-accepting-help-to-address-ransomware-johnny-olszewski-says/34948477

Multiple red flags preceded last week’s “catastrophic” cyber attack on Baltimore County Schools

 

A tech expert warned school officials in 2019 their networks were vulnerable to attack. A trove of personal data was exposed later that year. And the state auditor warned of vulnerabilities months ago – and previously in 2015.

...The technology journal Ars Technica not only revealed that Baltimore County Public Schools had alarming weaknesses, but it used BCPS as a prime example of how school systems across the country were at risk for similar attacks...

https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2020/11/30/multiple-red-flags-preceded-last-weeks-catastrophic-cyber-attack-on-baltimore-county-schools/?fbclid=IwAR1pLoWqbMBHYQpxA_WCkkTX3KOv8l9xpNBdiJireX1hKwi-VIFusNyBNQk

Hackers Break Into FCPS Network, Hold Info for Ransom

 Hackers have broken into Fairfax County Public Schools' computer network and say they're holding personal information for ransom.

There's no telling how much was stolen.

Fairfax County Public Schools have confirmed the hack, but an association that represents FCPS teachers and staff says employees haven't been informed that their personal information could have been stolen.