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Administrators with the Fulton County Schools district in Georgia and local law enforcement this week disclosed they’re investigating a cybersecurity incident after at least one student apparently accessed the district’s computer systems without authorization.
The matter is under investigation by district officials, law enforcement and “external partners” to determine what information, if any, was accessed, according to a statement from Fulton County Schools. Fulton County contains parts of Atlanta.
The cyberattack against the school district impacted online services for the FCS Innovation Academy, a public magnet school focused on science, technology, engineering and math. One student told Atlanta News First he was unable to complete schoolwork over the weekend and could not access Microsoft Teams video conferencing software or his school email account.
Most services were restored on Monday, the district told the local broadcast station WSB-TV. On Monday, Fulton County government experienced a cybersecurity incident that caused an IT outage affecting phones, as well as tax and court management systems. The school district told WSB-TV that the two cybersecurity incidents are not related.
In late January, the FCS Innovation Academy hosted an “IT Hack for Impact” event for students that featured keynote speakers and sessions hosted by tech innovation companies. One session led by Improving, a software consulting and developing company, encouraged students to develop a website that allows them to collaborate, discuss school news and foster a stronger student community.