Hackers Target Some Allen ISD Educators, Parents And Students

ALLEN, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Allen ISD Superintendent Robin Bullock said some staff, parents, and students received an email from hackers responsible for a recent cybersecurity attack on the district. They're asking those who received the email not to forward or reply to the message, and to not click on any links that it contains.

"The people sending these emails are criminals, and malicious software may be included in what they sent," said Bullock in an Oct. 4 email sent to faculty and families.

The district said currently there isn't reason to believe personal computers or accounts were compromised by the cyberattack. Still, they're recommending that district families and faculty members change passwords if they have security concerns.

"Regarding the cyber incident, Allen ISD is continuing to work with its independent cybersecurity experts to respond to this matter. There is no way to stop these people from sending harassing emails, so this may not be the last message like this that you receive," said Bullock.

In regard to the cybercriminals trying to extort Allen ISD, the "district has no intention of paying millions of dollars," to them. That decision follows advice from their independent experts and law enforcement who cautioned that the hackers could continue to harass the district after receiving a payment.

And as for the claim made by hackers that district computers don't function, Allen ISD refutes that.

"While there was an initial service interruption, our Technology Department worked diligently to get any affected systems back online quickly. Additionally, we are closely monitoring all incoming and outgoing data traffic."

Allen ISD is also monitoring all incoming and outgoing data traffic, according to Bullock's email.

"We are focused on determining the truth of the claims about data theft. Our cybersecurity experts have been in contact with whoever did this and our experts gave them several opportunities to show the data they claim to have taken," the email states.

"If [the hackers'] claim that they have taken sensitive personal information on individuals is verified, we will act to provide protection to those people," the email concludes before thanking those impacted for their patience and understanding.