UPDATED: Prov. Schools Staff Told Not to Log On to Internet Due to “Technical Difficulties”

GoLocal reports:

Providence Public Schools’ internet network has reportedly been hit with “technical difficulties.”

As GoLocal first reported, the school community was alerted to the issue Wednesday night.

Now, the Providence Public Schools Department has sent out an update on Thursday morning.

We write to inform you that, yesterday, PPSD IT staff detected irregular activity on our network and took immediate action to investigate and address it. IT staff followed proper security protocols and worked to isolate the issue which has been contained. Out of an abundance of caution, the District quickly engaged a third-party IT company to provide additional professional support. Following their recommendation, the District shut down the network, and the IT experts are now conducting a forensic review of the network. Internet access is currently down at all PPSD sites, and we are working diligently to restore it.

The investigation is ongoing. At this time, there is no evidence that any data has been impacted. As the experts complete their review and gather more information, we will provide additional updates and keep the community informed. We continue to work to address any potential service interruptions and ensure PPSD operations are minimally impacted. Staff from central administration have been deployed to provide additional support at the school level. School security systems and protocols remain active while classes continue.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this.