Schools

No Data Stolen In Cyberattack: Baltimore County Public Schools

Credit monitoring will be provided for Baltimore County Public Schools staff and students, officials say.

Officials with Baltimore County and Baltimore County Public Schools provided an update Monday, Dec. 7, on the cyberattack.
Officials with Baltimore County and Baltimore County Public Schools provided an update Monday, Dec. 7, on the cyberattack. (Elizabeth Janney/Patch)

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — All Baltimore County Public Schools students and staff will have free credit monitoring, Baltimore County officials announced Monday, nearly two weeks after the public school system was attacked by ransomware.

The move is "out of an abundance of caution," Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said, noting more details would be provided in the near future.

Officials said they do not believe any data was stolen in what Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Darryl Williams called a "crippling cyberattack."

Find out what's happening in Dundalkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Classes were canceled from the day before Thanksgiving until the following Wednesday after the attack.

Several state agencies are assisting in the investigation.

Find out what's happening in Dundalkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"We have no evidence that shows that there has been any ... data theft from Baltimore County," according to Jim Corns, executive director of information technology for Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). "Our investigation is ongoing."

BCPS Board of Education Chair Kathleen Causey said the school system had cyber insurance.

The state department of information technology has embedded a staffer with the Baltimore County system to assist with the recovery, and Baltimore County police officers are adding staff at schools where laptops are being exchanged, the county executive said, explaining the response is ongoing.

Watch the news conference held with BCPS on the cyberattack on Monday, Dec. 7.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.