CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Editor's Note: The above video is from an Aug. 30, 2023 broadcast.
New details have been released about the Aug. 27 cyber-attack on the Chambersburg Area School District (CASD) technology systems.
The investigation conducted by a third-party forensic team revealed that while the district was successful in defending itself against demands from the threat actors, certain personal data was stolen before officials were aware of the attack.
According to an open letter from acting superintendent Dr. Larry Redding, the district's ability to temporarily, and then permanently, restore access to data files can be primarily credited to the CASD technology team for their implementation of a detailed recovery plan, pre-attack technology defenses and solid data backup protocols.
The third-party vendors used by the district had a strong resume of working with school district cyber-attack issues, and gave hands-on help during the restoration process; as part of this restoration response, CASD has deployed advanced endpoint detection and response tools on all systems across their entire network.
The open letter further said that it recognized the frustration of the public due to the lack of information being shared, and said that during all phases of the attack, the district worked with legal counsel and specialist vendors in order to get the most accurate information possible to inform the community.
In a few days, the group of people whose personal data was possibly breached by the threat actors will receive a letter specifically addressed to them. School district employees from 2008 to the current year and a small group of students with individualized educational plans are the most likely affected groups.
The letter will contain instructions for credit monitoring and identity restoration services at no cost to those affected. The district also encourages everyone to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by regularly reviewing account statements and monitoring credit reports.
"On behalf of the Chambersburg Area School District, I would like to formally apologize for the disruption caused by this cyber-attack. We will continue to work on further strengthening our existing cyber security and technology systems," Dr. Redding stated. "I also extend my sincere appreciation to the staff, at all levels, that assisted us so tirelessly with making the best out of a most demanding crisis. Finally, thank you parents for your support and understanding."