By: Ayla Ozturk
In May of 2021, Visalia Unified School District [VUSD] faced a ransomware attack. Students, administration, and teachers could not access essential information.
Hackers had infiltrated VUSD’s systems and demanded a ransom. The district had just publicly received millions of dollars as a part of COVID-19 education aid.
VUSD was able to handle the situation, but students and staff were left concerned for their personal information.
Flash forward to December 2021, VUSD provided notice of yet another data breach. The leak was reported to occur June 2021, only weeks after the prior attack.
The information leaked and the breach itself were highly confidential. VUSD worked with a legal team to handle the situation.
VUSD’s Public Information Officer, Kim Batty, was legally able to provide information last December.
Principal Matt Shin says, “[It] was hard, but really it was about the student information and confidentiality and that getting out there. We didn’t want that information to be out and about.”
Student information such as transcripts, grades, social security numbers, health records, and much more are on file in VUSD’s student information system.
In addition, students have a school-linked Google account and access to PowerSchool.
PowerSchool holds a student’s grade and attendance history. Students can also access an unofficial transcript and behavioral reports.
Aidan Tandy, class of 2024, is a sophomore at Redwood High School. Topics such as technology and cybersecurity interest him.
According to Tandy, if a hacker has the right information, they could potentially gain access to all of a person’s data.
He notes, “[Personal information] can be sent out [to hackers] just like that, and it could risk a whole bunch of like future job opportunities [for students].”
Chloe Payne, class of 2024, is also a sophomore at Redwood. She says, “I don’t totally know anything about cybersecurity, I am just assuming it’s about keeping yourself and your information online.”
Payne takes the usual steps when she protects her passwords. She does not let anyone know her information except for her parents.
If she were to experience a cyberattack, Payne says “I would feel very violated, and I would honestly want to burn and destroy whatever got hacked.”
As Tandy said, a couple of clicks can take away hard-earned opportunities. So how can students prevent this?
Hive Systems and Ready are great resources to look at when upping your security.
Creating a secure password is a strong first line of defense. Simply using uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols together help protect your information.
Ayla Ozturk
Ayla Ozturk, class of 2024, is a fourth-year journalism student passionate about leading the News section. She is dedicated to informing students and amplifying their voices through Government and Politics writing.
You can reach her at ayla.oz3769@vusd.us.
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