Ransomware Attack Update: BCPS Encourages Device Checks

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — After Baltimore County Public Schools was the victim of a cyberattack, Superintendent Darryl Williams said he wanted to prepare students and staff for their return to the online classroom.

Virtual learning is set to begin Wednesday, after a weeklong hiatus.

“We will continue to make progress from this catastrophic event," Williams said at a news conference Tuesday, one week after the school system's online platforms were breached.

Classes have been canceled since Wednesday, Nov. 25.

The top priority is "restoring instruction," according to Williams, who said Tuesday, Dec. 1: "We are happy to affirm that school will resume tomorrow for all students."

Experts were available at high schools around Baltimore County Tuesday to conduct security checks on devices for students and staff, he said. These "confidence checks" helped determine whether a device was affected by the ransomware attack.

“It’s important for the students and staff to check their devices for malware,” Williams said. Late Tuesday, more details were provided on the school system's website about how to conduct this check independently.

"To prepare for tomorrow, students and staff who have a BCPS HP device need to first check for ransomware," Williams said in a statement on the BCPS website Tuesday. "There is information for students about logging in, as well as information for school staff. "

Chromebooks do not need to be checked, according to the statement on BCPS.org.

The school system's website is back online with a slightly new look after it was down due to the cyberattack. It is not the only thing that may appear to have changed.

"Instruction may look and feel different tomorrow," Williams said. "Because of the new platform, expect a different experience.”

Students and teachers will be able to log in to the two key sites for instruction —Schoology and Google Meet — but some elements may be unavailable, according to Jim Corns, executive director of information technology for Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS).

"BCPS has a very robust platform," Corns said, adding it involves a breadth of resources. "Some of those have not been able to be brought back online."

Device Checks Underway

The ransomware attack "encrypts data as it sits and does not access or remove it from our system," Corns previously explained.

Devices that were "held in a ransomware attack, we have swapped out," Corns said Tuesday. BCPS was doing a "modest amount of swaps," taking back devices that were not functioning and trading them for other alternatives.

Those bringing their devices for experts to review should wear face coverings and label their equipment with a piece of tape indicating name and school name of the person responsible for it.

As of Tuesday afternoon, half of the staff devices had been checked, and the other half were being reviewed Tuesday for malware, according to Corns.

Loaner laptops have been provided to BCPS to get contact tracing nurses back up and running, Corns said, noting this had been prioritized.

Those who would like to have an expert to take a look at their devices were able to stop by any of the BCPS high schools from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Schedule Changes Going Forward

Classes have been canceled since the day before Thanksgiving due to the ransomware attack. On Monday and Tuesday, school offices were open.

For students, Williams said classes would pick up where they left off last Wednesday, Nov. 25.

For parents, conferences for elementary school as well as prekindergarten and preschool will be delayed until further notice.

For staff, all Baltimore County Public Schools professional learning has been canceled through Dec. 5. Check with universities about their courses, officials advise. The Social and Emotional Learning summit has been postponed from Dec. 5.

Payroll Impact, Investigation Status

"As a large system," Williams said, "there may be some wrinkles" in the payroll processing due to the cyberattack.

The superintendent said he was committed to ensuring people were paid since staff continued working.

"Our staff had to work on the weekend, even on the day of Thanksgiving," Williams said, to ensure instruction would be back online as soon as possible.

Williams said his priority was to resume instruction, while police were working on the investigation into the attack.

"The police are not here because they're working," Williams said at his news conference Tuesday. "They're working with the FBI to resolve this as quickly as possible."

He declined to comment on the details of the ransomware attack due to the ongoing investigation.

See the Baltimore County Public Schools news conference.

Related:

• BCPS To Resume Virtual Learning Wednesday After Cyberattack
• BCPS Closed To Students For 2 More Days Due To Ransomware Attack
• Ransomware Attack Closes Baltimore County Public Schools