San Bernardino Unified going old school as it rebuilds its hacked computer servers – San Bernardino Sun

The San Bernardino City Unified School District is rebuilding some of its estimated 300 servers as it attempts to recover from a computer attack.

“We have told the IT staff they have whatever resources they need, including overtime,” district spokeswoman Maria Garcia said Tuesday, Oct. 22. “We’ve also told them to go home and rest and return with a fresh pair of eyes, because the work they are doing is very, very delicate.”

The district was alerted to a ransomware attack over the weekend. Ransomware invasions allow hackers to gain control and access  computers and their data. The attackers then demand a ransom to release control of the devices. Garcia said the ransom, which the district has not disclosed, has not been paid.

District faculty and staff were still locked out of their emails Tuesday. Teachers are continuing with lessons without some technology. Students, particularly those in high school, rely on Wi-Fi to do lessons, Garcia said.

Teachers and students are trying to make the best of the situation. Many teachers have begun rewriting lesson plans using paper and pencil and are holding lessons using textbooks instead of online books.

“We are kind of adopting the slogan, ‘No tech, no problem,’ ” Garcia said.

The district has 72 schools and about 53,000 students.

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