Classes resume at Franklin County Public Schools after ransomware incident

School officials are working closely with the FBI and Virginia State Police to determine the impact of the attack

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Franklin County Public Schools was hit with a ransomware attack on Monday, prompting the closure of the schools as authorities worked to resolve the issue.

Superintendent Dr. Bernice Cobbs says the decision to close schools was made in the interest of on campus-security while the matter was being reviewed.

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Fortunately, with help from third-party experts, school officials managed to stop the attack and classes were able to resume on Tuesday, authorities said.

School officials are working closely with the FBI and Virginia State Police to determine the impact of the attack.

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency defines a ransomware attack as a “form of malware designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and the systems that rely on them unusable.”

A statement from Dr. Cobbs can be found below:

Like many other organizations across the country, Franklin County Public Schools became the victim of a ransomware incident. Immediately upon detection, we began an internal investigation and engaged third-party experts to assist in our remediation efforts. Fortunately, through this team’s quick response, we were able to stop the progress of the attack. We are working closely with local and national law enforcement in this process, including the FBI and the Virginia State Police.

While the impact was being reviewed and in the interest of on-campus security, we made the decision to cancel classes on Monday. Our proactive measures included taking certain systems offline.

Superintendent Dr. Bernice Cobbs

About the Author:

Jazmine Otey joined the 10 News team in February 2021.