Decatur ISD recently notified some students and staff that a “data security incident” in September may have affected their personal information.
DISD previously suffered an apparent cybersecurity attack in September that took down the district's main servers and disrupted phone and internet access. At the time of the incident, DISD issued a letter saying, “At this time (September 8, 2023), there is no evidence that any data has been accessed, obtained, or misused.”
However, DISD recently sent a letter to certain students and staff saying that after further investigation, the district believes their names and social security numbers may have been obtained during the cybersecurity breach.
“Through that investigation, we learned of information suggesting that between September 4 and September 5, 2023, an unknown attacker may have gained unauthorized access to our network and obtained certain files. On or about February 27, 2024, DISD will notify you that your personal information was affected in connection with this incident. We are aware of this possibility and are the reason for this notice,” the letter sent to specific individuals within the district states. “…We believe that the information relevant to this case may have included your name and Social Security number.”
The letter goes on to say that after learning about the cybersecurity attack, the district launched an investigation and took steps to protect its “IT environment,” including increasing security measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Ta. DISD also said it has notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation and will continue to provide assistance as the FBI continues to investigate this incident.
DISD Director of Public Affairs Robin Jones issued the following statement: messenger:
“The investigation into the cybersecurity incident Decatur ISD experienced last September has been completed. With the assistance of our team of forensic experts and IT staff, we believe an unauthorized third party was able to access certain systems on our network. The security of our network and the data entrusted to us is always our top priority, so we take this incident very seriously. Decatur ISD is taking this incident very seriously. , and sent a letter to everyone whose information may have been compromised.”
