Burnaby school district says cyberattack may have exposed student and parent information

Public school officials in Burnaby, B.C., say hackers may have obtained student and parent information in a recent cyberattack. The Burnaby School District says in an online notice that the ransomware attack it suffered on Sept. 21 affected school websites and portals, internal network services and phone lines.

The notice says hackers copied and stole files that may have contained names and contact information for parents, guardians and students, as well as birthdates, grades and school names. The hackers may also have obtained registration forms, kindergarten assessment notes and detailed lists of students on specialized learning plans.

The district says the matter has been referred to the RCMP and B.C.’s privacy commissioner. It is also evaluating system security to prevent further breaches. Staff, students and their families have been offered registration with TransUnion’s fraud alert service, and the district encourages them to be wary of suspicious communications.

“We understand that incidents of this nature are concerning and we remain committed to keeping the Burnaby Schools community updated throughout this process, as the investigation proceeds and additional information becomes available,” the notice says.