New Westminster schools offline as district investigates 'cyber security incident'

A woman uses her computer keyboard to type in North Vancouver, B.C., on December, 19, 2012. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)

CTV News has learned hackers have targeted New Westminster Schools, forcing the district to shut down its networks.

The district has not made anyone available to answer questions but did provide a statement.

It says the district’s information technology team identified a “cyber security incident” on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

“This incident involved an unknown external party gaining unauthorized access to our systems,” the district said.

The statement did not say if staff or students’ personal information was targeted in the intrusion.

“We take the privacy and the protection of personal information belonging to staff, students, and parents very seriously, and will provide the community with updates about this incident as more information becomes available,” the district said in the statement.

It says it has notified New Westminster Police and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner about the breach.

The district did not answer follow-up questions about whether this is being investigated as a ransomware attack.

A ransomware attack is a type of cyberattack where hackers use malicious software to encrypt a victim’s files before demanding payment, often in cryptocurrency, in exchange for the decryption key.

The ransom demand sometimes includes a threat to release sensitive data obtained in the hack.

Organizations in B.C. have been hit with a series of cyberattacks in 2024, including the province which blamed “a state or state-sponsored actor” for multiple cyber-security incidents against government networks in the spring.

A cyberattack on the First Nations Health Authority in May compromised the personal details and medical information of some patients.

Also in May, London Drugs said cybercriminals publicly released files stolen from its network after the retailer refused to pay a ransom.

As that situation unfolded, London Drugs temporarily closed all 79 of its stores in Western Canada.

For now, networks at New Westminster Schools remain offline while the district and police continue to investigate the incident.