BREAKING: Cyberattack forces Catholic schools to close

Students at English Catholic schools are being sent home early today — and schools are closed tomorrow — in the wake of a cyber incident this morning that targeted the board’s computer and phone systems.

The website for the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board has been offline since this morning, and school phones are not working.

Danny Viotto, the board's director of education, said in a letter to parents that the board is "currently recovering from a cyber-incident that first came to our attention this morning."

“Upon our discovery, we immediately took steps to secure our network and retained expert assistance,” reads an excerpt of the letter. “We are in the process of investigating and understanding the full impact of this incident.”

Viotto assures parents that classes will resume Jan. 3, as scheduled.

“Our IT team has been working diligently and will continue until we are able to restore services," he says. "We appreciate that this incident raises a significant privacy concern, and we will be providing updates and sharing more information when we have it."

Although English Catholic schools will be closed tomorrow, principals and vice-principals will be at work if needed.

"Moving forward, I will be communicating with all employees and families through our school messenger platform and social media platforms (facebook, instagram and twitter)," Viotto says.

A media release from Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board follows: 

The Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board is currently recovering from a cyber-incident that first came to our attention this morning. Upon our discovery, we immediately took steps to secure our network and retained expert assistance. We are in the process of investigating and understanding the full impact of this incident.

Since our communications systems in schools such as telephones and P.A. Systems have been affected due to this cyber-incident, and to ensure the health and safety of everyone, all staff and students will be sent home for the remainder of the day today and all classes will be cancelled this afternoon and tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 16, 2022.  Classes will resume for staff and students on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.

Principals and vice-principals will remain in schools for the remainder of today and will be reporting to their schools on Friday should their assistance be required at the school level.

Moving forward, we will be communicating with all employees and families through our school messenger platform and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). At this time our board website is not operational.

Our IT team has been working diligently and will continue until we are able to restore services. We appreciate that this incident raises a significant privacy concern, and we will be providing updates and sharing more information when we have it.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.