YUP - it's TRUE! The ransom virus hit our school and BOY did it hit hard! If you are unfamiliar, this virus has been around a while, and our network people said that they get 2-3 calls a week about this, so it's nothing new. However it has KNOCKED! US! OUT! Basically, it's just like a ransom. The virus attacks your computer, there's a screen that appears saying they won't give you back your data unless you pay a ransom - OH! We think it was attached to an email from a staff member, but aren't certain, and from there has caused us a HUGE headache, countless hours of panic, and panic again as it has reappeared trying to ping our system - OH NO!!
Here is what has happened thus far:
1. The virus hit our main server and two of our three back up servers. In a nutshell - THANK YOU GOOD LORD that Casey decided to have three backups. However, we now will have four!!
2. EVERYTHING had to be restored from back up - our ENTIRE NETWORK! The server, staff and student drives, access codes, printers, Macbooks, Dell Computers, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING has had to be reconfigured. Those that HAD the virus - about half of our staff - also had to have their computers entirely wipes and reconfigured. THIS HAS BEEN A NIGHT MARE! Casey, who is our "behind the scenes" guy, describes it as, "Think of the worst thing to EVERY happen to a school district in terms of viruses, and that's how I feel!" He has taken the brunt of it until today!:( I have been on tech support the last three days with our JSS system that runs our iPads and found out today that ALL 900+ iPads have to be restored to factory setting and then reenrolled into our JSS! Which ONLY means that I have to hook up and restore each one - ONE BY ONE! GOOD GRIEF
3. We had EVERYTHING restored and things were running good not great - HOWEVER - now the network IS NOT running right. Our network people had to hire Microsoft for help - so AS WE SPEAK they are working on things again - and the virus KEEPS showing up. The password has been changed, so it's only pinging it and not getting in - but OH - what if it does again?
4. Things just ARE NOT quite right, and not working SUPER GREAT by any means. Some printers work fine for people, and others times won't print - I KNOW that that's technology - but it's just a lot of weird things that works for some and not others?
5. SOME teachers didn't back up EVER! Now, that doesn't mean they weren't told to - it just means they DIDN'T DO IT! You should have SEEN the desktops of a few of them! Every time I was on his/her computer I told them to put things into Dropbox or Google Drive - BUT they didn't and of course - THOSE were the computers that got infected:(!!! SO - lesson learned I hope! However - GOOD NEWS! Almost ALL DID back stuff up and lost very few if any files - THANK HEAVENS!
SO that's our last week and a half in a nutshell. BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE - BACK UP BACK UP BACK UP! AND make sure YOU TELL YOUR STAFF TO BACK UP!!!
Happy long weekend all - Monday is NEEDED:)!!
Mrs. I:)
Here is what has happened thus far:
1. The virus hit our main server and two of our three back up servers. In a nutshell - THANK YOU GOOD LORD that Casey decided to have three backups. However, we now will have four!!
2. EVERYTHING had to be restored from back up - our ENTIRE NETWORK! The server, staff and student drives, access codes, printers, Macbooks, Dell Computers, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING has had to be reconfigured. Those that HAD the virus - about half of our staff - also had to have their computers entirely wipes and reconfigured. THIS HAS BEEN A NIGHT MARE! Casey, who is our "behind the scenes" guy, describes it as, "Think of the worst thing to EVERY happen to a school district in terms of viruses, and that's how I feel!" He has taken the brunt of it until today!:( I have been on tech support the last three days with our JSS system that runs our iPads and found out today that ALL 900+ iPads have to be restored to factory setting and then reenrolled into our JSS! Which ONLY means that I have to hook up and restore each one - ONE BY ONE! GOOD GRIEF
3. We had EVERYTHING restored and things were running good not great - HOWEVER - now the network IS NOT running right. Our network people had to hire Microsoft for help - so AS WE SPEAK they are working on things again - and the virus KEEPS showing up. The password has been changed, so it's only pinging it and not getting in - but OH - what if it does again?
4. Things just ARE NOT quite right, and not working SUPER GREAT by any means. Some printers work fine for people, and others times won't print - I KNOW that that's technology - but it's just a lot of weird things that works for some and not others?
5. SOME teachers didn't back up EVER! Now, that doesn't mean they weren't told to - it just means they DIDN'T DO IT! You should have SEEN the desktops of a few of them! Every time I was on his/her computer I told them to put things into Dropbox or Google Drive - BUT they didn't and of course - THOSE were the computers that got infected:(!!! SO - lesson learned I hope! However - GOOD NEWS! Almost ALL DID back stuff up and lost very few if any files - THANK HEAVENS!
SO that's our last week and a half in a nutshell. BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE - BACK UP BACK UP BACK UP! AND make sure YOU TELL YOUR STAFF TO BACK UP!!!
Happy long weekend all - Monday is NEEDED:)!!
Mrs. I:)
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