N環球 
Vancouver-area Burnaby school district confirms student data stolen in cyberattack
Burnaby School District 41 confirms that hackers copied and stole files containing personal information of students, parents and staff in the September 21 ransomware attack; the case is with the RCMP and B.C.'s privacy commissioner.
Why it matters
Burnaby School District 41, in the Vancouver metropolitan area, has confirmed that hackers copied and stole files containing personal information of students, parents and staff in a ransomware attack on September 21. The district — B.C.'s fourth largest, with about 27,000 students — is a stark reminder that school IT systems are now prime cybercrime targets.
Full report
According to a notice issued by the district in mid-October, the attack hit school websites and portals, internal network services and phone lines. The stolen files may have contained lists of parent, guardian and student names and contact information, as well as birthdates, grades and school names — and possibly registration forms, kindergarten assessment notes and detailed lists of students on specialized learning plans.
The district says the matter is in the hands of the Burnaby RCMP and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C., and that system security is being evaluated to prevent further breaches. Phone service was restored September 28 and the MyEducation family portal on October 1. As a precaution, the district has offered students registration with TransUnion's fraud alert database since October 14, and is urging families to watch for suspicious communications.
The district says the impact on students, parents and guardians was limited and most sensitive information remains secure; the investigation is ongoing, and affected individuals will be notified as reliable findings become available.
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