LAUSD approves emergency declaration to fix computer systems, prevent further attacks
The Los Angeles Unified School District's Board of Education approved an emergency declaration to help prevent another attack on its computer systems.
A cyberattack on the LAUSD's computer systems disrupted some critical functions, including email, forcing all of the district's teachers, students, and staff to change their district email passwords. A cybercriminal syndicate calling itself Vice Society took credit for the attack, according to the Associated Press.
The resolution will allow Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to sign emergency contracts to "ensure the continuation of student education and the security of data, networks, and servers" without first getting bids. The resolution gives Carvalho this power for a period of one year.
Carvalho said district was attacked with a ransomware tool, but there was no ransom demand.
The cyberattack was detected on Sept. 3 as unusual activity from an external entity, prompting the district to deactivate all its systems in an "unprecedented" move. The U.S. Department of Education, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are looking into the hack.
"We did not know at that time what areas were targeted, what entity was targeting us," Carvalho said. "We were unaware how deep, how complex this incident, this action, was. So, as a matter of protection, we basically shut down every one of our systems."
Classes resumed as normal after Labor Day.
District officials said they immediately established a plan of action, with input by "top public and private sector technology and cyber security professionals," to provide protection in the future. The plan includes an Independent Information Technology Task Force charged with developing a set of recommendations within 90 days, including monthly updates, deploying IT personnel at all sites to help with technical issues as they pop up, making new technology investments, and employee training with cybersecurity.