Hackers target San Luis Obispo County educators

June 20, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

The San Luis Obispo County Office of Education was targeted in a cyberattack that has potentially exposed their employee’s personal financial information. Law enforcement is working to determine how the system was breached and what data was compromised.

On June 12, the office of education discovered its servers had been breached and shut down the entire system, according to an email from Superintendent Dr. James Brescia to school district administrators. Officials then contacted law enforcement and the Center for Internet Security, a nonprofit with a mission to “help people, businesses, and governments protect themselves against pervasive cyber threats.”

Brescia also informed school district employees of the data breach and offered credit monitoring services at no charge.

“We ask that all employees follow best practices and remain vigilant against data theft or fraud,” Brescia says in his email. “You should immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement and your financial institutions.”

An ongoing cyberattack out of Russia has targeted state and federal agencies, including schools, with ransomware demands. Local official have not yet responded to questions regarding the hackers or their demands.

It typically takes weeks, and sometimes months, to determine how hackers got in and what data they took.

“We appreciate your understanding as we work to restore operations and investigate,” Brescia says in his email. “We will continue to inform our districts.”