Data breach prompts increased cybersecurity for Baltimore City Public Schools, State's Attorney's office

Baltimore City Public Schools and the State's Attorney's Office are ramping up cybersecurity measures after a data breach, officials said Tuesday. 

The hack on the school district compromised the personal information of some current and former employees, volunteers, contractors, and a small percentage of students, district officials said.

City schools said in a news release that the attack on February 13 may have resulted in "unauthorized acquisition" of certain files, folders and records. 

"The files may have contained one or more of the following elements: social security number, driver's license number, or passport number. Information belonging to less than 1.5% of the current student population was also identified in acquired files," BCPS said.

The compromised student files may have contained data such as student records, call logs, absenteeism records, or maternity status, according to the district. 

School officials said the breach was contained quickly, preventing it from significantly disrupting school operations.

How is BCPS addressing the incident?

Those impacted by the data breach were contacted by mail on April 22, according to BCPS.

BCPS said it notified law enforcement immediately after discovering the breach and worked with cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident.

The school system is also offering complimentary credit monitoring services for 24 months to help mitigate potential harm.

"We have implemented a series of additional cybersecurity enhancements, including installation of endpoint detection and response software and resetting all passwords," BCPS said.

District officials said they will continues to asses their existing procedures and the results of a forensic audit to identify ways to combat cyber threats in the future. 

Data breach at Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office

Officials with the City State's Attorney's Office said they were notified of "unusual activity" on its network on March 19. 

The office implemented its cyber incident response plan and implemented protections to secure the network.

"We continue to enhance our cybersecurity and coordinate with our law enforcement partners, as this is an ongoing investigation," officials said. 

Similar incidents involving cyberattacks

In February, the Anne Arundel County government said it was still recovering from a cyber incident that impacted public service and government buildings. 

The county took precautionary measures after the attack, including limiting internet access and closing some buildings while investigators determined the full scope of the incident.

Then, Markus Rauschecker, Executive Director of the University of Maryland's Center for Health and Homeland Security, told WJZ there's been an uptick in cyber incidents targeting institutions, such as local municipalities and healthcare systems.