The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) has entered its second week of disruptions caused by a cyberattack, with recovery efforts ongoing to restore full services across the board.
“The UCDSB continues to work around the clock to restore access to our network and daily digital tools,” said April Scott-Clarke, Manager of Communications for UCDSB. “We’ve been working closely with cybersecurity experts in the recovery efforts and will continue to do so for as long as necessary.”
On Thursday, January 16, the school board addressed recent concerns about a cybersecurity breach involving PowerSchool, a software provider for the education sector. While the UCDSB uses PowerSchool, the board has confirmed that its systems were not impacted by the breach.
Additional steps have been taken by the UCDSB to verify that there has been no involvement or exposure related to the PowerSchool incident.
As recovery efforts continue, the board is actively investigating the potential theft of information. Cybersecurity experts have been engaged to assess the full scope of the incident and to ensure all necessary precautions are taken. Updates will be provided as more details become available.
Some services are beginning to come back online, but the My Family Room platform remains offline. Parents and guardians are reminded to call their child’s school directly to report absences.
The UCDSB has also addressed concerns about the security of payment information for hot lunches and school activities paid through My Family Room. Payments processed via PayPal are secure, and the UCDSB assures parents and guardians that it does not store any payment information. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest any compromise of payment transactions made through My Family Room.
While the priority remains on restoring services, the UCDSB cannot yet provide an exact timeline for resolving the network disruption. Critical steps, such as securing all UCDSB devices that access the network, are ongoing and will take time to complete.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to visit the UCDSB cyber incident page for regular updates. An FAQ section has been added to address common concerns and provide timely information.
For further questions or concerns, families can contact their school principal via phone or email or reach out to communications@ucdsb.on.ca.
