EVANSTON, Ill. (WBBM Newsradio) – A ransomware attack has forced Evanston Township High School to close for two days, canceling summer school classes, sports camps and all other on-campus activities as officials work to restore computer systems and investigate the breach.
Evanston Township High School District 202 said the cyberattack occurred Sunday and disrupted access to district systems, internet services and computer infrastructure.
As a result, the school will remain closed Monday and Tuesday. District officials said additional information about the remainder of the week's schedule will be released as recovery efforts continue.
The district said it immediately activated its incident response plan and hired outside cybersecurity forensic experts and cyber breach attorneys to assist with the investigation.
"We are working with these specialists to determine precisely what information may have been accessed or acquired and to restore normal systems operations as quickly as possible," the district said in a statement.
District officials said they are cooperating with the FBI as part of the ongoing investigation.
The full extent of the attack and whether any personal information was compromised have not yet been determined.
In the meantime, the district said phone systems are unavailable, staff members have limited access to email and families may be unable to use certain online resources, including the Home Access Center.
School leaders said updates regarding the investigation and recovery efforts will be posted on the district's website as more information becomes available.
