Schools in Jackson, Hillsdale counties reopen Thursday following cyberattack

JACKSON, Mich. (WILX) - After being closed for the first half of the week due to a cyberattack, all public schools in Jackson and Hillsdale counties reopened Thursday.

The attack impacted critical operating systems, including heating, phones and classroom technology.

Update: Overcoming Jackson County ISD cyberattack could take several weeks

Students will have “limited access to several technology resources,” Thursday as systems are restored.

In a video released Thursday, Superintendent Kevin Oxley said they have a team of experts who installed additional security measures and certified the essential systems as safe.

He hopes to have additional restorations over the weekend.

A letter from Superintendent Kevin Oxley sent out Wednesday afternoon can be read below.

More: School closings

I have great news to share regarding the restoration of our critical operating systems. Thanks to the around-the-clock work by our tech team and cybersecurity experts, we are prepared to welcome students back to school tomorrow, Thursday, November 17, 2022.
Our number one priority was to get kids back in school and we're thrilled to be able to do that tomorrow. While our restoration efforts continue, we prioritized bringing essential systems back online in order to allow us to safely resume operations and reopen school buildings across Jackson and Hillsdale counties. However, students will continue to have limited access to several technology resources when they return tomorrow, as our teams continue to work on restoring additional systems.
We understand the challenges this incident has created for our community. Unfortunately, the criminals responsible for ransomware attacks such as these have been targeting school districts like ours across the country. We want to thank our students, families and employees for doing their part in the ongoing recovery and we appreciate your patience and understanding.
We understand there may be additional questions surrounding this incident, however, our investigation into the incident remains ongoing. We will continue to focus on our restoration efforts and we will provide additional updates as appropriate.
Jackson County ISD Superintendent Kevin Oxley

Earlier in the week, the Jackson Intermediate School District (ISD) sent an email to staff and said it is a victim of a ransomware attack. Jackson ISD provides technology services for many districts in Jackson and Hillsdale counties.

Related: Survey: Cyberattacks targeting schools more often

Schools had encouraged students not to use their school computers or access the school’s internet.

You can check the status of your child’s school on the school closing page.

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