Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Sonia Dinnall speaks about the cyber incident that locked educators out of school systems beginning Sept. 1.
Reminding Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — The investigation into the cyber incident that affected the city’s schools over the past week is ongoing, according to Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, who was backed by Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Sonia Dinnall and members of the School Department leadership at a press conference on Sept. 8.
School personnel have been locked out of access to third-party platforms and vendors, including the medical information system, transportation and food services. Dinnall said Springfield schools were closed throughout the week of Sept. 8. She explained that without the ability to verify which students need medicine or have food allergies or health issues, it was unsafe to open schools. The city’s overall digital infrastructure had seen no evidence of malicious attacks, Sarno said.
The School Department’s information technology personnel first noticed “malicious traffic” on the school systems on Sept. 1. Chief Information Officer Robert St. Lawrence said the cyber incidence response plan was immediately initiated. The IT department spent the next few days identifying, containing and eradicating threats. Initially, the School Department was unsure of the nature and scope of the problem, but by the end of the day on Friday, Sept. 4, it had a full understanding of the situation. It was then that they sent out the first communication to Springfield families.
Sarno said he stood by the School Department’s decision not to inform families for several days after the issue was first noticed. He said the schools and the city have been able to defeat many such cyberattacks before they could impact software and computer systems. “We don’t want to alarm anybody,” Sarno said.
Staff and students were asked to refrain from logging into their School Department-issued laptops until they receive notice that the issue has been resolved. Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development Terry Powe said that, if needed, the schools would rely on books, pen and paper, rather than tablets and laptops. Dinnall said, “We know instruction does not rest solely in technology … So, we will be able to move forward and provide instruction — high quality, rigorous, grade level, standard-aligned instruction — even in the absence of some of our tools, because our teachers and our educators have the skill set necessary to deliver instruction.
Sarno said the systems are being restored, and School Department personnel have been “working around the clock” to reestablish access. Asked about an expected timeframe for reopening schools, Dinnall said she was unsure, but assured families, “We will consider all options to ensure that our students are in school for 180 days.” Those options might include the use of days set aside for inclement weather closures or adjusting the school calendar, although the latter would require agreement by the educator and staff unions.
Dinnall said communication had been “smooth,” and the department has reached out to families using email and social media, as well as text messaging through the newly rolled-out Edia platform. Assistant Superintendent of Community Engagement, Family Empowerment and Partnerships José Escribano said the department leadership team sent 14,000 text messages on Sept. 7 explaining to parents the reason for the school closure and steps the department is taking to reopen. Class Dojo, a platform commonly used by elementary students, is also being used to communicate with families. The superintendent said the response from families has been “largely positive.”
The cyber incident was determined to be a level four threat, which Sarno described as “severe.” He was adamant that the city could not release some information so as not to endanger the investigation. The city is working with different levels of law enforcement, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations. “The investigation continues,” Sarno said several times in lieu of giving specific information.
“We will get through this,” Sarno assured residents.
Schools are scheduled to reopen on Monday, Sept. 14.
