Richmond Public Schools operates internet-free for second day after cybersecurity incident hits network

RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Public Schools students and staff operated internet-free for the second day in a row after a cybersecurity incident took the district offline.

Superintendent Jason Kamras shared an update Thursday morning that, despite the suspicious activity, schools would remain open and are safe. He says in-person classes would continue as tech-free learning environments and that, as their teams work to restore the network, several operational changes would be made to keep the campuses secure.

Those changes include limiting non-staff entries to caregivers only and only releasing children to adults already approved in the PowerSchool system.

The note did not specify if any personal information was compromised or if any type of ransom was demanded by those responsible for the cyberattack. CBS 6 reached out to RPS directly, and in a statement they said:

"Regarding reports of ransomware, we are collaborating with local and federal law enforcement to determine the full scope and source of the incident. We are working closely with our experts to determine whether any personal information was affected. If it was, we will notify those impacted, explain what it means for them, and offer free credit monitoring."

While the scope of the incident is not clear yet, CBS 6 received a message from an RPS teacher Thursday claiming that some staff members received an unexpected small deposit in their bank account, and when they reported it, they were told by the principal to cancel their card. We then asked RPS about this and are waiting to hear back.

Cybersecurity expert Alex Nette says situations like these are becoming more common.

"What has historically been a bad experience already and have been increasing recently for school systems is probably only going to get worse here in the near future," Nette said.

He added that the programs needed to hack into these systems are becoming easier to create.

"Many people who are not as, uh, skilled in terms of coding and creating these malware packages, uh, now can do that with the use of AI," Nette said.

Additionally, RPS established a command center to assist families and answer questions. They say from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. you can call or email, and that contact information is listed on WTVR.com.

• Phone Line: 804-780-1849
• Email: RPSCommand@rvaschools.net

This is a developing story, so check back with WTVR.com for updates. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have info, photos or videos to share.