Ransomware locks Rockford Public Schools' phones, internet

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) - Public schools in Rockford, Illinois are operating without internet, telephone or computer systems that track student attendance because of a ransomware attack.

The Register Star reports Rockford Public Schools first experienced trouble with its phone and internet services on Friday. Classes for roughly 28,000 students in 47 schools resumed Monday despite outages still affecting school buildings and district offices.

In a statement Monday, school officials said experts are helping the district's technology team evaluate the outage. The district says its officials are working to get a complete picture of the incident and understand how it impacts its data.

The school district would not confirm whether it is working with local, state or federal law enforcement agencies.

Ransomware is a type of malware, or malicious software, typically spread through emails containing links or attachments that encrypt a user's files or systems, preventing them from accessing the information.

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Information from: Rockford Register Star, http://www.rrstar.com