CARLISLE, Pa. — Confusion is spreading across the Carlisle Area School District, as students were left without the internet for an entire school day.
On Friday morning, district officials notified parents that its internet system was shut down due to a "possible security incident." The potential security breach was discovered on Thursday afternoon.
Carlisle students remained in school for the day, however they were unable to use school laptops or iPads during the day. The school district also limited school access for parents and visitors.
“(The email) didn’t give any more details and it was very vague," said Jessica Briggs, a mother of three children in the Carlisle Area School District. "Even the kids came home and what they were told was very vague and open ended.”
Briggs said the letter from the school superintendent left her wanting more information about what is going on. She also worries how the internet shutdown will impact her children's school work.
“So much is relying on that technology and to know it’s temporarily cut off, a little more of an explanation would’ve been nice," said Briggs.
This is the second time this week that a school district in Central PA has faced cyber security concerns—after Chambersburg School District was hit with a ransomware attack.
Scott Davis with the Cybersecurity Association of Pennsylvania said the beginning of the school year brings new risks for security breaches.
“It’s a prime time to attack an organization like educational facilities with social engineering, phishing, etc. because that education level might not be caught back up," said Davis.
Davis says both school districts and parents can better protect themselves by doing software updates on all school devices, as well as educating students about cybersecurity threats.
“(I) highly recommend talking to them about the dangers of social media, talk to them about phishing and social engineering, and what that’s like," said Davis.
FOX43 reached out to the Carlisle School Superintendent, however she said she was unable to provide any more information.
An investigation into the security incident is ongoing.