Kearney Superintendent Jason Mundorf said on Monday afternoon that Friday’s cyber attack failed to compromise Kearney Public Schools’ safety protocols.
“We know some systems were not breached at all,” Mundorf said. “That includes our student information system.”
The compromise of the district’s network, which was not ransomware, did create some challenges on Monday, KPS officials said. For instance, teachers were taking attendance manually.
GIPS Chief Information Officer Cory Gearhart noted that all school districts strive to make cybersecurity, data protection and online safety part of their team culture.
“I think everyone would agree that simply having sophisticated technology alone isn’t enough,” he said. “Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT focus — it’s a team focus.”
Gearhart said the Legislature took up the issue in the last session but didn’t advance a measure to provide funding to improve cybersecurity. Nonetheless, the renewed focus is a good thing.
“Recent initiatives from the State of Nebraska’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, and renewed priority from the Nebraska Department of Education in the areas of technology, data governance and cybersecurity, have become larger areas of focus,” Gearhart said. “We believe joint, expanded focus in these areas will benefit all districts throughout Nebraska.”
GIPS operates within industry standard best practices, has layers of redundancy and engages in proactive training with its employees, he said.
“While no infrastructure is perfect, with a statewide team approach, we are working every day to stay agile, proactive and responsive as we safeguard our people and our information,” Gearhart said.
In Kearney, Mundorf said officials hope the schools can return “normal system functionality” Tuesday.
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