FBI probes hacking of CT school’s computers

WOLCOTT - The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now involved in the hacking of the computer system of the Wolcott public schools, according to WTNH.

Police were not notified of the hacking issue until months after it occurred, according to Wolcott police Chief Edward Stephens.

He called in the FBI after finding Thursday about the hacking which appears to have been done for ransom, he said. Meanwhile, the Wolcott Board of Education approved spending the money to pay the ransom to get the hacked information restored, according to WTNH.

“The board made and passed a motion authorizing me to spend up to the amount allowed by the Town Charter without a bidding process on the ransom and to do so while spending the least amount possible," Superintendent of Schools Dr. Anthony Gasper said in a statement.

As of Thursday, no ransom had been paid yet, he added.

The school has been able to retrieve some of the files that were hacked from the middle and high schools, Stephens told WTNH. But no files from the elementary schools have been recovered.

The ransomware attack started three months ago, officials said. School officials initially contacted the Connecticut Intelligence Center and not local police, Stephens said. "We would've been ahead of the game here, we wouldn't be trying to place catch up, Stephens told WTNH.

from News https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/FBI-probes-hacking-of-CT-school-s-computers-14401437.php