Flagstaff School District Falls Victim To Cyberattack

Flagstaff schools were closed Thursday after the district’s computer system was hacked.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Flagstaff Unified School District realized it had fallen victim to a cyberattack. Its information technology department shut down all systems to avoid a computer virus from spreading. Students were given the day off while teams battled ransomware.

Chuck Essigs with the Arizona School Business Officials said all districts are vulnerable to hackers because most rely on computers to operate.

In July, the Arizona Auditor General issued a fraud alert with tips to prevent a cyberattack. Flagstaff Unified spokesman Zachary Fountain said the district will decide Thursday night whether it can reopen Friday.