By Beth Milligan | March 30, 2024
Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) is currently looking into a “network disruption” issue that has led the district to immediately cut off access to its network. They have also brought in a specialized third-party cybersecurity firm and have decided to close school for at least Monday, with the possibility of extending the closure to Tuesday.
On Saturday night, TCAPS sent an email to its staff informing them about the situation. The district stated that they were “investigating a network disruption that impacted the functionality and access of certain systems.” In response to the incident, TCAPS disconnected access to the network and brought in a specialized third-party cybersecurity firm and IT personnel to help secure the environment and conduct a thorough investigation to understand the nature and extent of the incident. Updates will be provided as the forensic investigation progresses.
As a result of the disruption, TCAPS has decided to cancel classes for Monday. The decision on whether classes will also be canceled on Tuesday is currently uncertain. The district plans to communicate further information on Sunday night or Monday morning.
To expedite the investigation, TCAPS has instructed staff to follow these steps:
> Refrain from using any TCAPS systems until further communication is provided.
> Once systems are accessible, reset passwords and multi-factor authentication.
> At some point on Monday or potentially Tuesday, staff will need to bring their laptops on site for crucial network upgrades. The district is unsure if upgrades can be pushed to all devices automatically or if manual upgrades will be required.
The district emphasized the importance of protecting the integrity of their systems and the information they handle. While existing security measures are in place, TCAPS is committed to enhancing their safeguards in the future.