RE: Update on Windsor Elementary Technology Breach
March 13, 2018
Dear Windsor Elementary School Families:
Many of you are aware of the technology breach that occured at Windsor School last week. I would like to take this opportunity to sum up details and report out on the district’s response. On Monday March 5th, a perpetrator was able to log in to the Google accounts of five sixth grade students, edit documents and place inappropriate content there. Four students discovered the content and brought it to the attention of their teacher, who in turn reported it to the building technology specialist. She reported it to the principal and assisted students in changing their passwords.
Police dispatch was contacted, and an officer returned the call later Monday morning. Evidence saved by the school was picked up by police Tuesday for investigation. A fifth student, who was absent on Monday, discovered the same materials on their account on Tuesday. By Wednesday, student accounts were disabled while further investigation continued.
Based on work with law enforcement agencies and the assistance of Google technicians, we can report with confidence that this was an isolated incident perpetrated by an individual who was already familiar with some student usernames and passwords. There is no evidence that any systems were hacked. Based on a Google review of their anti-virus measures on our account and the results from running tools they recommended, we are also confident that the perpetrator did not introduce any virus or other malware into our systems or the students’ accounts.
We are doing all we can to ensure a safe environment for your children, which includes protecting students from exposure to inappropriate materials. Schools face new challenges in the digital age, and we are ready to meet them and do better. I know that our inability to provide much information until now has been frustrating. We felt it important to comply with repeated requests by law enforcement to avoid giving any information that might inadvertently thwart their investigation. We will continue to work diligently to support the affected students. In our aim to always do better, we are revising our password policies and updating our security settings in accordance with recommendations we sought from Google technicians.
Please contact me directly at the RSU 12 Central Office, 549-3261, or Dr. Maggie Allen at Windsor Elementary School, 445-2356, if you have any questions or concerns about this technology breach.
Sincerely,
Howard Tuttle
Superintendent, Sheepscot Valley RSU 12
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