Pembina Trails reassures parents after systems hacked

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/12/2024 (352 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Pembina Trails School Division has assured parents it doesn’t store financial information related to students on its computer system as it deals with a crippling cyberattack.

On Wednesday, an update on the problem said financial information about international students is in a separate system that wasn’t hacked.

Superintendent Shelley Amos said parents will soon be able to get up-to-date information on the cyber attack on a dedicated page that will be on the division’s website (pembinatrails.ca).

“We thank you for your support and patience as our investigation continues and as we restore systems,” she said.

“We are confident that we will overcome this challenge together.”

She thanked staff and teachers for their work to keep schools operating this week while the division’s administration deals with a cyber attack.

Amos said their priorities continue to be “minimizing impact on learning and safeguarding our student’s and staff’s information.

“We are grateful that through the resiliency of our staff and teachers, who have risen to the occasion, we have kept our schools operating so that classes can continue,” said Amos.

“Their ingenuity has been nothing short of remarkable.”

Amos thanked the division’s IT teams which have been looking into the hacking since it happened.

“As we work to better understand what happened, and uncover what information was involved, we recognize that such an investigation may take time, possibly weeks or months.”

The division’s IT teams first noticed suspicious activity on its computer systems Monday morning. Before long, several of its computer systems were affected as well as telephone lines at schools.

The division has said it is working with a cybersecurity management firm.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca