Two weeks ago, the Springfield Public Schools were forced to abruptly pause remote learning for 26,000 students when the district’s computer network was hit by a ransomware attack.
School officials said no data was lost and no student’s personal information was at risk.
The cyberattack in Springfield was hardly an isolated incident. On the first day of school last month, a ransomware attack shut down remote learning in Hartford, Connecticut.
The Center for Democracy and Technology – a Washington DC-based nonprofit – released a report this week on protecting students’ digital privacy. WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Elizabeth Laird, a senior fellow at the organization.