Haywood County Schools victim of ransomware attack

The superintendent says the district is not interested in paying criminals.

COUNTY.SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED YESTERDAYAND TODAY AFTER THE DISTRICTDISCOVERED SUSPICIOUS FILES THATTURNED OUT TO BE MALWARE ADIFFERENT KIND OF VIRUS HITHAYWOOD COUNTY SCHOOLS NOTCOVID-19 MALWARE A COMPUTER HACKRIGHT NOW.WE’RE FOCUSING ON DETERMININGWHICH PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALCOMPUTERS MIGHT HAVE BEENCOMPROMISED IN ADDITION TO THESERVERS AND THAT WILL TAKE USJUST A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TODO THAT THE LAST WE WANT TO DOIS REOPEN THINGS TOO QUICKLY.AND SPREAD SPREAD THE ATTACKAROUND SUPERINTENDENT BILL NOLTETELLS US NORTH CAROLINA’SNATIONAL GUARD IS RUNNING AFORENSIC INVESTIGATION AFTERSCHOOL DISTRICT STAFF DISCOVEREDSOME SUSPICIOUS FILES MONDAYMORNING AS A PRECAUTION THE ITDEPARTMENT SHUT DOWN EVERYTHINGDIGITAL.I THINK THE MOST SIGNIFICANTIMPACT AT LEAST THIS EARLY INTHE SCHOOL YEAR IS JUST THEIMPACT ON OVERALL.CENTRAL OPERATIONS INTERNET DOWNSERVER’S NOT USABLE LANDLINEPHONES IN SCHOOL TODAY ANDYESTERDAY WE’RE BOTH OPTIONALTEACHER WORKDAYS AND STUDENTSWHO ARE NOT ABLE TO ACCESSONLINE LEARNING THEMICROELECTRONIC CENTER OF NORTHCAROLINA AND THE STATE’S STRIKETEAM ARE ALSO INVESTIGATING.NO, THE DISTRICT SAYS A THIRDPARTY HACKER OFFERED TO STOP THEATTACK IN FOR MONEY, BUT THESUPERINTENDENT.TELLS ME QUOTE THE SCHOOL SYSTEMIS NOT INTERESTED IN PAYINGCRIMINALS IN HAYWOOD COUNTYRENEW ONE.