TDSB hit by ransomware attack that could have compromised personal information

The Toronto District School Board says it has been hit by a ransomware attack that could have compromised personal information.

In a letter sent to parents on Wednesday, the TDSB said it “recently became aware that an unauthorized third party gained access to TDSB’s technology testing environment, which is a separate environment used by TDSB IT Services to test programs before they are run live on TDSB systems.”

“We are conducting a thorough investigation to understand the nature of the incident, any impact on our network, and if any personal information may have been affected by the incident.”

The TDSB says its cybersecurity team took immediate steps to “secure and preserve data while safeguarding critical systems.”

The board’s systems remain operational.

The TDSB says it has contacted Toronto Police and the Information and Privacy Commission of Ontario.

“If it is determined that any personal information has been impacted, we will provide notice to all affected individuals,” the board says.

TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird tells CityNews they won’t likely know the full extent of the breach, or if personal data was obtained, until the end of the day.

In the meantime, the board says it is working with third-party experts to assess the incident.