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Rochester Public Schools (RPS) has provided clarification regarding the cause of the large-scale cyberattack that severely impacted the district’s operations this spring. Superintendent Kent Pekel addressed the issue during a presentation about the upcoming technology referendum in November.

According to Pekel, the district believes that either someone clicked on a malicious link or utilized the same password for a district account as they did for another online account, such as social media. Pekel emphasized that the district was not negligent in its cybersecurity measures, but one of these two scenarios occurred.

To address the technological needs of the district, RPS is seeking approval for a funding request during the referendum. This funding, amounting to million annually, would be dedicated to technology-related endeavors. Consequently, the district would be able to allocate million from its existing technology budget to other essential areas.

Apart from supporting students’ learning through the provision of devices, the proposed technology funding could also be utilized for security purposes. This includes implementing physical cameras in schools and enhancing the district’s cybersecurity.

The cyberattack incident occurred just before Easter weekend, prompting the district to shut down its network upon discovering unusual activity. Subsequently, RPS conducted a market comp study which resulted in reasonable pay increases for employees in the IT department. Moreover, the district invested in Arctic Wolf, a new security software that significantly enhances cybersecurity measures.

Pekel explained that this software enables more aggressive authentication and monitoring procedures. It allows for prompt detection of any abnormal network activity, ensuring faster response times and increased security.

The cyberattack emphasized the significance of technology in the district and highlighted the benefits of enhancing and updating tech systems for both students’ education and the organization as a whole.

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