Student CCSD accounts have been restricted outside of campus WiFi due to a cybersecurity incident.

In a statement sent to parents, CCSD stated:

“The investigation revealed that the unauthorized party accessed limited personal information related to a subset of students, parents, and employees. CCSD is working diligently to identify all individuals whose information was impacted by this incident. Our comprehensive assessment is ongoing and may span several weeks.”

Restrictions began at around 10 p.m., Monday night as students were completing assignments.

“I finished cleaning for work and my friend texted me telling me the accounts were down,” senior Evelyn Schakaford said. “I feel stressed out and frustrated because I used my computer at home and now I can’t even use my Chromebook at home. It’s inconvenient for me because of my work schedule and not being able to get home and do my homework. I really need that time when I get home to work on my assignments and make sure it’s accessible for school the next day.”

An announcement was made at school on October 17 that the only option for students who were locked out of their Chromebook was to reset their password on their phone, and if that was unavailable, they may go to the library to change their password and log in from there. 

“I actually went to the library today in hopes of resetting my password as I have three midterms that are due within the next few days,” senior Daphney Garcia-Hatton said. “But it was a little frustrating because on the first login page to reset your password, it took like five to 10 minutes just to go on to the next step. [And] in the end, it just told me that it was a failure. So it’s just a massive waste of time. It’s just really frustrating because I literally can’t do anything.”

Some students were sent emails from people claiming to be “hackers”, threatening to release information if demands for money were not met.

“I was approached by a student who was asking me if I had gotten an email about [a] cybersecurity ransom hack where the hackers were asking for ransom from the school district,” Social Studies teacher Joseph Juliano said. “I don’t know if it was a hoax email or if it’s credible, but it was listing out all the different information that they’re threatening to release.”

This is the second time CCSD accounts were compromised, as hackers also gained confidential information in 2020. Only the district can properly make resolutions to the issue, but it is unknown exactly how long it will take to fix.

“I found out the accounts were down and I felt suspicious about what was happening today because I got an email about it from CCSD admin that we would not be able to access our accounts,” Communications teacher Henry Evans said. “I am fortunate that today’s lesson does not involve much technology. Their bellwork has been turned into a discussion rather than typed.”

This story is updating as it unfolds.