Highline Public Schools, a district serving 17,500 students just south of Seattle, was forced to cancel classes on Monday due to a cyberattack. The district, in a statement released on Sunday, revealed that it had detected “unauthorized activity” on its technology systems and swiftly moved to isolate critical infrastructure to prevent further damage.
While the specific details of the Highline Public Schools cyberattack remain unclear, School authorities has confirmed that the closure impacts all school activities, including athletics and meetings.
The district also stated that it is collaborating with third-party cybersecurity experts, as well as state and federal authorities, to restore systems safely and comprehensively test them before resuming normal operations. “We are working closely with third-party, state and federal partners to safely restore and test our systems,” reads the official notice.
The Growing Threat of Cyberattacks on Schools
This Highline Public Schools cyberattack highlights a growing trend in cyberattacks targeting the U.S. education system. Schools are increasingly becoming prime targets for malicious actors, who see the vast amount of personal and financial data stored in school networks as an attractive prize.
According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), “Adversaries have targeted our Kindergarten to Twelfth (K-12) education system due to the extensive amounts of personal and financial data they maintain about our kids, teachers, school staff, and records on the schools themselves.”
Schools often maintain databases that store sensitive information, including student and staff social security numbers, addresses, and financial records, making them lucrative targets for ransomware attacks. Yet, despite these risks, many school districts lack the resources to implement robust cybersecurity programs, leaving them vulnerable. “Many of our schools across the nation are what we call ‘target rich, cyber poor’,” CISA warned, referring to the imbalance between the amount of data stored and the security measures in place to protect it.
The agency further noted that cyber incidents in K-12 schools are so frequent that, on average, there is more than one incident per school day in the U.S. This statistic paints a troubling picture of the security landscape within educational institutions, where a single breach can have devastating consequences, both financially and in terms of trust.
A String of Cyberattacks on U.S. School Districts
Highline Public Schools is far from alone in dealing with this type of disruption. In early January 2024, Kershaw County School District in South Carolina was targeted by the Black Suit ransomware group, which managed to steal and leak 17.5 GB of sensitive data. Shortly after, Van Buren Public Schools in Belleville, Michigan, faced a similar fate when the Akira ransomware group claimed responsibility for a data breach.
The problem also extends to larger districts. Earlier in 2024, the Hunters International ransomware group claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Gallup-McKinley County Schools in New Mexico. Though details regarding the breach remain scarce, the incident left cybersecurity experts and educators scrambling to understand the scope of the damage.
As more schools fall victim to these increasing cyberattacks, the need for stronger cybersecurity measures in the K-12 sector has never been more apparent.
Immediate Impact of Highline Public Schools Cyberattack on Families and Staff
For Highline Public Schools, the timing of the cyberattack could not have been worse, as the district was on the eve of welcoming many students, including kindergartners, for their first day of school. The sudden closure has left families scrambling to make alternative arrangements, and district officials acknowledged the burden placed on both families and staff in light of this unexpected disruption.
“We understand this comes as an unexpected disruption, particularly on the eve of the first day of kindergarten for many of our families. We recognize the burden this decision places on both families and staff, but student safety is our top priority, and we cannot have school without these critical systems in place,” the district said in its statement.
While classes are canceled, school and central office administrators are still expected to report to work. The district has indicated that central office staff may be deployed to schools if necessary to help manage the situation.
The investigation into Highline Public Schools cyberattack is ongoing, and School has promised to provide updates to families and staff.
As of now, the district has committed to notifying the community by 2:00 p.m. on Monday if the cyberattack will continue to affect operations into Tuesday.
As The Cyber Express continues to monitor the situation, we have reached out to Highline Public Schools for further details on the nature and scope of the cyberattack on Highline Public Schools. However, no official response has been received at the time of this report.
Updates on Highline Public Schools cyberattack will be provided as new information becomes available.