Officials say they learned of the incident last month. It involves records containing names, phone numbers, social security numbers and other personal information — including custody status and medical conditions.
"We take this matter very seriously and have invested significant resources to protect sensitive data," the district said in a statement. "Despite our efforts, the district is now one of a growing number of public and private organizations experiencing cyberattacks."
Dallas ISD recently received notice of a data security incident involving the district's electronic records that may affect former and current students, alumni, parents and district employees.
— Dallas ISD (@dallasschools) September 2, 2021
We believe in transparency and will share updates at https://t.co/7WseOaQmvT. pic.twitter.com/eEkWojjAZI
Dallas ISD says federal law enforcement has been notified, and that it appears none of the information has been sold or shared. The district added the full extent of what and how information has been compromised won't be understood until additional analysis is done.
"The district’s IT team, assisted by forensic consultants, has addressed specific vulnerabilities that were exploited during this event and will continue efforts to augment security going forward," according to the school system's website..
The event affects students, employees and contractors dating back to 2010. The district will launch a hotline Friday to assist anyone who's data is at risk.
Check out DallasISD.org/Data for more information on the attack and how the district is responding.
Got a tip? Email Syeda Hasan at Shasan@kera.org and Gabrielle Jones at gjones@kera.org. You can follow Syeda on Twitter @SyedaReports and Gabrielle @gabrielleNjones.
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