SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Sumner County Schools officials are delaying the start of the school year after a hack to the district’s network.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed to News 2 that they are assessing the situation and will help the district determine next steps. School officials said they’ve notified local and federal law enforcement of the “unauthorized access,” which was discovered July 20.
News 2 attempted to contact Sumner County Board of Education members, but none could elaborate on what information may have been accessed.
A cybersecurity expert said it’s not uncommon for hackers to threaten to expose personal information on the dark web.
“Right away they’ve contacted FBI, of course, the TBI, Homeland Security. They have an outfit, CISA, which deals with cybersecurity breaches and stuff. And they also have third-party forensics that are on the ground. So, they’re coming in with the heavy hitters to figure this out,” said Christopher Warner, a Principal Security Consultant. “What parents should do — assume the kids’ data may be exposed, watch for phishing texts, phishing emails or even calls. And I go back to AI because it can sound so real.”
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Warner recommended all parents and school employees change any school-related passwords.
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