Attacked, not hacked

The Chico Unified School District was the target of a cyber attack last Friday (May 10) that disrupted Internet connectivity at area schools and disabled public access to district websites, according to a CUSD press release.

“It is important to note that the CUSD system has not been ‘hacked’ and that all student and personnel data have not been compromised,” the release reads. The attack came in the form of a Distributed Denial of Service, which blocks user access to a machine or network.

District websites were taken offline for two days while information-technology staff worked on the issue and returned to service Tuesday (May 14). The sites are being closely monitored and may be subject to further interruptions while CUSD and Butte County Office of Education personnel ensure everything works correctly.