Burnaby school district says cyberattack may have leaked student, parent info

Public school officials in Burnaby, B.C., say hackers may have obtained student and parental information in a recent cyberattack.

The Burnaby School District says in an online notice that the ransomware attack it suffered on Sept. 21 affected school websites and portals, internal network services and phone lines.

The notice says hackers copied and stole files that may have contained lists of parent, guardian and student names and contact information, as well as birthdates, grades and school names.

It says the hackers may also have obtained registration forms, kindergarten assessment notes and detailed lists of students on specialized learning plans.

The school district says the matter is in the hands of the RCMP and B.C.’s privacy commissioner, adding that its system security is being evaluated to prevent further breaches.

It says staff, students and their families have been offered registration with TransUnion’s fraud alert service and encourages them to be wary of any suspicious communications.

“We understand that incidents of this nature are concerning and we remain committed to keeping the Burnaby Schools community updated throughout this process, as the investigation proceeds and additional information becomes available,” the notice says.