Latest news with #CowetaCountySchoolSystem
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Coweta County Schools becomes latest victim of ransomware attack
The Brief Coweta County Schools is the latest victim of cybercriminals attempting to steal sensitive information through security breaches. Authorities say the school system was alerted to the network activity on Friday night, and it forced them to cancel SAT testing at three high schools over the weekend. Cobb County has also been the victim of a recent cyberattack, with hackers from the Russian-speaking group Qilin realilng 400,000 files hacked from the county government's system on Saturday. COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - The Coweta County School System said its systems were hacked in a ransomware attack Friday. A spokesperson with the school system said no student or employee information was part of the breach, and no school financial information was hacked. What they're saying According to Coweta County, the school district experienced a cyberattack Friday that forced officials to cancel SAT testing at three high schools over the weekend. The attack will not interrupt class for students, but work processes may be slowed for staff and teachers. Testing will go on as scheduled this week. Why you should care Cybersecurity experts say hacks attacking governments, schools, hospitals, and utility companies are on the rise, but there are important steps to take now to keep your money and identity safe. Rick Hudson of Critical Path Security has dedicated his career to stopping cybercriminals and said it is important to take any ransomware attack seriously. Money and critical personal details could be at risk. "Anything from somebody trying to obtain a credit card in your name, changing addresses on where social security checks may be mailed to, and other things like that ... up to full-blown identity theft," said Hudson. Dig deeper On Saturday, hackers from the Russian-speaking group Qilin released 400,000 files hacked from the Cobb County government's system, including driver's licenses, social security cards, and autopsy photos. Husdon said Cobb County is legally obligated to contact anyone impacted, so he says residents should not try to locate any personal information on the dark web. Searching for that data could bring more malware and viruses to your computer. "Go ahead and lock your credit, go ahead and do all the two-factor authentication on every account you have, sign up for a password manager, whether it's Lastpass or 1Password. They offer free for individuals," said Hudson. He also recommends secure browsers like Brave. Coweta County School System officials said it, like the attack in Cobb County, would not be paying the ransom to the hackers. The Source Information for this story came from a report by Alexa Liacko and a statement by the Coweta County School District.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Coweta County Schools targeted by ‘apparent cyberattack,' incident under investigation
The Coweta County School System announced that its computer network had been targeted in an apparent cyberattack on Friday night. According to the district, the incident is now under investigation by its security partners and was reported to the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency. As a result of the 'intrusion,' the district said some of its network processes 'will be hampered in the coming days, and school system employees have been advised not to access desktop devices while the matter is being investigated.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Despite the impact on the school system, district officials said school will continue as normal this week, including Advanced Placement testing, which starts Monday. Milestones Testing will also proceed as planned on Tuesday, officials said. TRENDING STORIES: Cobb County customer disputes spa's late arrival policy not listed in membership contract Brock Bowers returns to UGA to complete his degree Student loan collections restart today. What Clark Howard says borrowers need to know 'Many basic school operations - including student Chromebook access and use, Wi-Fi access and phones - have not been impeded by this situation,' the district said. Officials added that it did not appear any personal information was compromised during the reported intrusion, though the investigation is ongoing. Officials said the system was alerted to unauthorized network activity on Friday night around 7 p.m. When the intrusion was found, the IT department and security partners immediately took the system offline to stop the activity and find the source. Now, access to the school system's internal network will be restricted as authorities investigate and monitor the situation. Coweta County School officials said they will provide updates to parents and employees as more information becomes available. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Misconduct charges dropped against Coweta County teacher
Charges have been dropped against a Coweta County teacher accused of sexual misconduct. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Patricia Fulford, 55, faced two counts of cruelty to children, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and maintaining a disorderly house. The Coweta County District Attorney's Office said it met with sheriff investigators about a probable cause hearing for Fulford. They agreed to drop the charges. 'The recalled warrants do not affect the other defendants charged in this case,' the sheriff's office said in a statement. The Coweta County School System confirmed that Fulford is an English teacher at East Coweta High School. According to the school's website, she teaches ninth and tenth grade. The district placed her on administrative leave after her arrest. Channel 2 Action News reached out Thursday to the district. A spokesman confirmed Fulford is still on leave. TRENDING STORIES: Griffin couple accused of trying to starve 10-year-old to death takes plea deal Atlanta HVAC technician among 19 arrested in 'child predator' operation GA man fights off rabid bobcat while camping [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
