DCPS close-call with internet malware attacks; school district’s superintendent reacts
DORCHESTER CO., Md. — With virtual learning becoming a new normal for many school districts, they now run into attacks outside of coronavirus, computer virus attacks that is. Dorchester County Public Schools recently had a run-in with malware attacks that could’ve impacted more than 5,500 DCPS devices.
DCPS superintendent, W. David Bromwell tells us he was his school district target out of all school systems. According to I.T. officials, they told him quote, ” it’s almost like the people that do these types of attacks take a dart and just throw it at a board and wherever it hits, where gonna go after that.”
The superintendent says the malware attacks on the school district were at such a high and unremitting level it could have caused critical
failures to student’s instruction if left unchecked. Bromwell adds that probing could have been the reason behind the technological strike. In this case, it’s when people want to damage your system or even cripple it.
failures to student’s instruction if left unchecked. Bromwell adds that probing could have been the reason behind the technological strike. In this case, it’s when people want to damage your system or even cripple it.
Luckily, Bromwell says thanks to Bay Country Communications and Inacom, they were able to stop every single attack before it happened. He says in part quote, “we’re being very cautious about that …we had very good systems in place from the get-go.” The superintendent also says all involved in resolving the issue “worked hard to overcome it. He says the school system has seen some things this week that are anomalies that they’ve taken care of and are hopeful that they’re moving on in a better direction.
Superintendent Bromwell tells us that with virtual learning sticking around in some form or fashion, these online attacks are here to stay too. He informs that all school systems should be ahead of the curve when it comes to being ready for them.
