- Judson Independent School District
- Technology Update
Technology Updates
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UPDATE PUBLISHED AT
2:25 pm 07-20-2021Judson ISD recently announced we were able to restore access to our phone and email systems following a ransomware attack on our information technology systems. This restoration was achieved through the acceleration of key upgrades to reinforce the security of our systems in preparation for the 2021-22 School Year.
While we are pleased to have access to be able to communicate with our community once again, we continue to work alongside our team of data privacy professionals as this remains an ongoing and active investigation.
Our continued investigation will help us determine and share more details about what occurred, how we addressed the situation and will work to protect individuals whose data was affected, and what steps you should consider to further ensure your personal information remains safe, private and secure. We have learned it is common for this process to take some time, yet we are committed to keeping you informed.
All of us at Judson ISD are committed to a successful resolution while also looking ahead to welcoming our students, teachers and staff back to school this fall. There is nothing more important to us than meeting our students’ educational needs.
Again, we are thankful to everyone in our Judson ISD community as we take the necessary steps to fully resolve this disruptive attack on our school district.
UPDATE PUBLISHED AT
1:00 pm 07-19-2021Judson ISD is excited to inform the community that our district phone and email systems are back up and running! We are so happy to be able to reconnect with our families and community through our normal communication lines. We would like to thank our Technology Team and express our gratitude for the support from our community. As we carry on with the work, we ask for your continued patience as we answer questions and fulfill pending requests. We will provide updates through our social media platforms, website and communication system as they become available. As a reminder, please be sure to register for the 2021-2022 school year through our online system. More information can be found HERE. If you need assistance, please contact your campus.
UPDATE PUBLISHED AT
4:00 pm 06-24-2021Judson ISD is coordinating a comprehensive response to what is now a confirmed ransomware attack. This has been a difficult time for our school district, and it is representative of the cybersecurity risks all institutions, businesses and individuals face in today’s connected world. We want to thank our employees, students and their families for their patience, cooperation and understanding as we work alongside law enforcement and our independent team of experts to resolve this matter.
Please note we currently do not have access to our information technology systems. This includes our phones and district email accounts, among other critical resources. The timeline to restore these systems remains fluid as this continues to be a rapidly evolving situation.
We understand some of our community members are uncomfortable receiving email communications from the district. We have set up phone numbers in order to address inquiries regarding our summer school programs, including transportation. In addition, a district call center to assist with other inquiries is being established and will be live on Monday, June 28.
Summer School Contact Numbers:
Elementary Summer Program 210-540-9145
Middle School Summer Program 210-410-0939
High School Summer Program 210-380-2771Transportation Department Contact Numbers:
210-740-4218 or 210-896-1735There remains little information we can share about the ransomware attack and system outage at this time. If you have information about the attack or require urgent information technology assistance, you are welcome to reach us at JISD.communications@gmail.com. Otherwise, we respectfully ask our community to watch our website and social media channels to receive updates as we have them.
Again, we thank you for your patience and understanding at this difficult time.
UPDATE PUBLISHED AT
8:21 pm 06-18-2021There is nothing more important to Judson ISD than the safety, security and wellbeing of its employees, students and their families. This includes the protection of their personal data stored within the district’s information technology systems.
On June 17, Judson ISD determined that these systems had been compromised as the result of a suspected but unconfirmed ransomware attack. Unfortunately, these disruptive attacks are on the rise in the United States with criminals targeting school districts, corporations and other entities across the nation.
As soon as we became aware of the intrusion, we immediately notified federal, state and local law enforcement. We have also engaged independent forensic investigators and third-party experts who are working around the clock, in cooperation with law enforcement, to determine the nature and extent of this attack. It is unclear at this time what information might have been accessed.
Our employees, students and their families were also informed through social media and the district’s mass communications system. While we continue our investigation and risk mitigation efforts, we are asking our Judson ISD community for your cooperation, patience and understanding.
We are committed to a successful resolution, and we will continue to share updates with you on our website, social media channels and the mass communications system as we are able to do so. Throughout this process, the district remains here to assist with your students’ needs and those of our employees. Updates will be published here as they are available. You may also contact the following resources for assistance:
- Questions about district operations, including summer school programs, may be emailed to JISD.communications@gmail.com
- For media inquiries, please contact Chief Communications Officer, Dr. Nicole Taguinod at JISD.communications@gmail.com
**PLEASE NOTE: District staff do not have access to their email at this time. We do not have phone access. Please use the email address listed above to reach us with urgent questions and concerns. We will keep you updated as we are able to do so.
FAQs
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Will Judson ISD be providing credit monitoring or other services to affected individuals?
POSTED ON 07-20-2021
It is unclear at this time what information might have been accessed. While we are pleased to have access to be able to communicate with our community once again, we continue to work alongside our team of data privacy professionals as this remains an ongoing and active investigation. At the conclusion of our investigation, we will provide further information in accordance with federal and state data breach notification regulations.
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How were the phone and email systems restored?
POSTED ON 07-20-2021
Our phone and email systems were restored through the acceleration of key upgrades to reinforce the security of our systems in preparation for the 2021-22 School Year.
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Can I register my child in the online registration system?
Posted 7-16-2021
Yes, the online registration system is safe and available for parents to use to register their children. The registration webpage has information you will need to get started.
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What is a safe number to contact District Offices?
Posted 6-29-2021
The district has establsihed two safe lines for general inquiries. We will do our best to address any questions or concerns. We appreciate your patience and support.
Please call:
- 210-945-5100
- 210-945-5101
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How can I reach someone from a summer school program?
Posted 6-23-2021
For inquiries regarding summer programs please use the following numbers:
Elementary Summer Program
210-540-9145Middle School Summer Program
210-410-0939High School Summer Program
210-380-2771 -
Can staff use district issued devices?
Posted 6-22-2021
At this time we are advising all employees to not use any device that has been connected to the district network or try to access any district technology systems. A district issued laptop/chromebook should be left unplugged and not touched. It is also not advised to use any USB or flash drives that were used on a district site or in a district device on a personal computer. We greatly appreciate your cooperation, patience and understanding as we continue our investigation and risk mitigation efforts.
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Is there an update on HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT RECOVERY Classes?
Posted 6-21-21
In order to minimize network traffic and reduce online interruptions, students currently enrolled in the HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT RECOVERY program with Edgenuity may continue to work on their courses from home if they have internet access for the remainder of Session A, which ends on July 1.
It is important that students who choose to work from home for the remainder of Session A, log in to Edgenuity during the regularly scheduled time of 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Edgenutiy teachers will unlock tests for students during those time only in order for them to recover their credits. In addition, students can communicate with teachers through the Edgenutiy program via email using the email button on the upper right corner of the student's page.
For students without internet access at home, these students may continue to report to Wagner HS to conclude the June summer session.
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How do I contact the Transportation Department about summer school bus routes?
Posted 6-21-21
The Transportation Department can be contacted at the following numbers:
- 210-740-4218
- 210-896-1735
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Will STAAR EOC testing be given and if so, what is the schedule?
Updated 6-21-21
Yes. High school students will be given STAAR EOC tests as scheduled. Please note that the test will not be administered on the computer. Students will use paper and pencil to take the test.
The testing schedule is below. Students only need to attend on the day of the subject test they need. Students should check in at Wagner HS at 7:30am
Testing Schedule:
- Tuesday, June 22: English I
- Wednesday, June 23: Algebra I and US History
- Thursday, June 24: English II
- Friday, June 25: Biology
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What happened?
On June 17, Judson ISD determined its information technology systems had been compromised as the result of a suspected but unconfirmed ransomware attack. Unfortunately, these disruptive attacks are on the rise in the United States with criminals targeting school districts, corporations and other entities across the nation.
As soon as we became aware of the intrusion, we immediately notified federal, state and local law enforcement. We have also engaged independent forensic investigators and third-party experts who are working around the clock, in cooperation with law enforcement, to determine the nature and extent of this attack. It is unclear at this time what information might have been accessed.
Our employees, students and their families were also informed through social media and the district’s mass communications system. While we continue our investigation and risk mitigation efforts, we are asking our Judson ISD community for your cooperation, patience and understanding.
There is nothing more important to us than the safety, security and wellbeing of our employees, students and their families. This includes the protection of your personal data stored within the district’s information technology systems, and we are committed to a successful resolution. We will continue to share updates on our website, social media channels and the district’s mass communications system as we are able to do so.
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What data was accessed?
It is unclear at this time what information might have been accessed. We are doing all we can in cooperation with federal, state and local law enforcement while working with a team of independent forensic investigators and third-party experts to restore our access to these systems and secure our data.
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Is my employee or student data safe?
Judson ISD has determined that its information technology systems have been compromised as the result of a suspected but unconfirmed ransomware attack. We are doing all we can in cooperation with federal, state and local law enforcement while working with a team of independent forensic investigators and third-party experts to restore our access to these systems and secure our data. While it is unclear at this time what information might have been accessed, the district is committed to a successful resolution. We will keep you updated as we are able to do so. You will find updates here on our website, our social media channels and through our mass communications system.
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What should I do now?
We greatly appreciate your cooperation, patience and understanding as we continue our investigation and risk mitigation efforts. We will share updates here on our website, our social media channels and through our mass communications system. In the meantime, please do not access any other district information technology systems.
If you have information about this suspected ransomware attack, please email JISD.communications@gmail.com.
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When will the district’s information technology systems be restored?
We are working around the clock with our team of independent forensic investigators and third-party experts, in cooperation with federal, state and local law enforcement, to resolve this disruption. We are unable to confirm when the system will be restored at this time. We will share updates as we are able to do so.
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Should I be concerned about my personal information?
With the recent rise of ransomware attacks on school districts, corporations and other entities across the nation, it is important that we all remain vigilant. Unfortunately, we are unable to determine which systems have been affected and what information might have been accessed. We will share updates, including notification to any affected individuals, as soon as we are able to do so.
