TUSD restores network, internet after cybersecurity attack

Nearly two weeks after a cybersecurity attack blocked the Tucson Unified School District‘s internet and network access, Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said in an emailed statement that the district was able to restore network access and recover impacted systems.

“Major progress is being made every day and will continue until we have all systems functioning,” he said Friday, Feb. 10.

It was unclear which systems the district had yet to restore. Spokeswoman Leslie Lenhart did not immediately respond to questions about which systems were still down as of Friday afternoon and whether the district had paid a ransom to regain access to its network services.

“This past week we implemented additional network security enhancements, reactivated the internet, email, and access to essential systems,” Trujillo wrote in his statement. “The district processed payroll on schedule to successfully pay all our employees today, this was one of our highest priorities.”

He added that some employees may not have received compensation for overtime or pay adjustments due to the loss of access during that time, but he said those payments are of high priority and in the process of being resolved.

The district also reactivated ParentVUE accounts, so families can monitor their kids’ progress in school and maintain communication with teachers.

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“We are very proud and appreciative of the efforts and support of everyone in the district and the third-party experts who have helped to guide us through this process,” Trujillo said.

The emailed update stems from the Jan. 30 incident in which Royal ransomware hacked into the district’s network, blocking district employees from all network and internet access.

During a Feb. 2 briefing with the media, Trujillo said there was no evidence of any confidential employee or student information being compromised during the cybersecurity attack. He said if that changed, the district would promptly inform employees, parents and the media.

Lenhart did not immediately respond to whether there was any suspicion or evidence that confidential information had potentially been compromised as of Friday afternoon.