A ransomware hack has caused an extended winter vacation for students attending Richmond Community Schools near Detroit, Michigan, where classes set to resume Thursday were postponed until next week.
The school district said in a statement that several of its computer servers were “attacked” by a ransomware virus during winter break, affecting several critical operating systems including heating, telephones, copy machines and other unspecified classroom technology.
“District personnel and network server contractors have been working to resolve the problem. No student or staff information has been compromised. However, it is a very time-consuming process and is not expected to be completed by Thursday,” Richmond Community Schools said in a statement.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software in which a computer system is typically rendered inoperable until the perpetrator receives a payment. Recovery is not guaranteed, however, and the FBI advises ransomware victims against paying.
It was not immediately clear if Richmond Community Schools planned to pay the requested ransom.
Richmond is located roughly 40 miles north of Detroit. More than 1,200 students in were enrolled in the school district as of 2014, according to its website.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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