Burnaby school district investigates cyber incident that put employee records at risk

The Burnaby School District is investigating a cyber incident that came to its attention on Monday, September 21. It immediately took steps to contain the incident, brought in cybersecurity specialists to assist with its investigation and response, and notified the appropriate authorities. The district says staff are working to determine what happened and assess any potential impact on individuals. Establishing the incident’s nature and scope remains a key focus, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

On October 1, the district told all staff and families that its investigation had confirmed an unauthorized party gained access to district systems, putting employee personnel records at risk. At this stage, it has no evidence that sensitive student information was affected. The incident initially affected some systems and operations, including internal network services and phone lines. Phone service was restored at all schools and district sites on September 28, and access to MyEducation, including the family portal, was restored on October 1. The district says work across Burnaby Schools continues to ensure student learning is not disrupted, while it works to restore remaining affected operations as soon as possible.

The district is regularly sharing direct communications with families, staff and district partners, and says it will continue to provide updates. It recognizes the news has been concerning for the Burnaby Schools community, says protecting community members’ personal information is extremely important, and expresses regret that the incident occurred. As a precaution and as a best practice, it urges the community to remain vigilant about suspicious communications, including requests for personal information and unexpected emails, text messages or phone calls. The district thanked the community for its understanding and patience as it works to restore remaining services as quickly and securely as possible.

The notice was originally posted on September 23, 2026, and updated October 2.