Baltimore City Public Schools and the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office have fallen prey to cybersecurity incidents earlier this year, with the schools facing a breach that affects staff, students, and volunteers. The breach, which occurred on February 13, saw "criminal actors" compromise sensitive documents, as reported by WMAR-2 News. Following the data breach, notification letters were sent out today, with the school system also offering credit-monitoring services to those affected by the incident.
The compromised information might include social security numbers, driver's license numbers, and passport numbers. Regarding students, less than 1.5% were affected by the potential unauthorized acquisition of files, which included data such as student records and absenteeism records, according to CBS News Baltimore. The district is actively enhancing its security protocols in the wake of the breach, taking measures such as installing endpoint detection and response software and resetting all system passwords.
This breach closely follows the heels of a February cyber incident that hit the Anne Arundel County government, as part of a troubling uptick in cyber incidents targeting institutions at various levels, as reported by CBS Baltimore. Investigations by the Baltimore City school system, alongside law enforcement and cybersecurity experts, are ongoing to gain a full understanding of the hack. Meanwhile, the State's Attorney's Office, which experienced unusual activity on March 19, is tight-lipped about the details of their incident, as noted in communications revealed by The Baltimore Sun.
The State's Attorney's Office, while confirming the unusual activity, has not disclosed whether any sensitive information was compromised. However, they are working in coordination with law enforcement and enhancing their cybersecurity measures, as stated by James Bentley, chief of communications, in an email cited by The Baltimore Sun.
