NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) — As the New York City Public School system grapples with the Canvas service hack affecting schools nationwide, one of its Manhattan campuses is contending with a separate incident.
Officials discovered malware installed on computers at one school community’s shared lab, according to a memo sent to affected school community members and seen by Bloomberg. The malware has since been removed, and the district is investigating with local police, per the memo.
The largest K-12 district in the US, which includes about one million students and staff at over 1,600 schools, was already dealing with the cyberattack on Instructure Inc.’s Canvas service. Seven of its schools were impacted by that, according to a spokesperson for the district.
The Canvas system, used by students to take tests and get grades, was infiltrated by hackers on May 1, leading to service disruptions at campuses across the country. The company, owned by KKR & Co., restored much of the service Thursday, though it’s suspended the teacher accounts for now.
“We are continuing to investigate these matters and are committed to keeping all affected communities informed. We will share more information as soon as it is available,” said Kamar Samuels, chancellor of New York City Public Schools, in a Friday statement. “In such cases, we work around the clock with any vendor that may be involved, as well as all appropriate law enforcement agencies and NYC Cyber Command to drive towards resolution and safeguards.”
It’s unclear whether the hackers gained access to sensitive information in either attack.
Hackers have previously found schools to be easy targets. For instance, last year a series of hacks at Ivy League schools including Harvard University, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania exposed the information of alumni, donors and students.
Last month, a cyberattack stole $4.8 million in taxpayer money from Spotswood, a New Jersey suburb, after hackers accessed a school district employee’s email account.
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