«Մեդիան հանուն կրթության» ՀԿ–ն հետևում է էթիկական լրագրության կանոններին։
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Դիտորդ մարմին։
Photo: From the Richmond school’s Facebook page
An internet outage at public schools in Richmond, the capital of the US state of Virginia, is forcing schools to return to traditional learning methods, including printed books and notebooks. The school district is working with three printing companies to produce and deliver teaching materials. The loss of internet access has disrupted classes and school communications. Teachers and students are concerned about continued interruptions to learning, school safety and the possible exposure of personal data.
The cybersecurity incident has highlighted the need to confront the risks of an increasingly digital education system. On Wednesday, school district employees discovered threatening messages on their computer screens claiming that hackers had stolen sensitive personal information. Law enforcement agencies are continuing to investigate the incident.
Loss of Access
Teachers say they cannot access digital textbooks, use photocopiers or retrieve their digital lesson plans. Following the cyberattack, security cameras and landline phones were reportedly not working, and school staff were unable to contact parents.
Andrea Bryant, president of the Richmond Education Association, said the loss of access to attendance records and other essential systems had raised concerns among teachers about the safety of students and staff.
Obstacles to University Applications
High school seniors are facing additional challenges as the internet outage has complicated the university application process. Teachers are struggling to submit recommendation letters as the November 1 application deadline approaches.
Cybersecurity Concerns
On Friday, Virginia Governor Spanberger ordered the development of a statewide cybersecurity plan, although the announcement did not specifically mention K–12 schools.
Richmond Public Schools is the second school district in the Richmond area to experience a major cybersecurity disruption this year. In March, schools in Hanover County also suspended internet access following a similar incident. Investigators later linked that incident to an attempted ransomware attack.
