The Ridgewood Schools Superintendent, Mark Schwarz, issued a statement on Wednesday addressing a recent cybersecurity incident that occurred within the district. According to Schwarz, on Tuesday morning, November 5th, the district’s cybersecurity systems detected unauthorized access attempts by an outside entity.

Despite the breach, Schwarz assured the community that thanks to the prompt response of the IT team, the attacker was unable to access any servers or disrupt district operations. He emphasized that the protection of personal information is a top priority and stated that there is no evidence to suggest that any personal information belonging to staff or students was compromised.

However, the attacker was able to view certain directory information, including encrypted password data (password hashes). While this data is securely encrypted and cannot be used to log in to any systems, Schwarz deemed it necessary to implement a district-wide password reset as a proactive measure to maintain security within the network.

As a precautionary measure, all district users, including 6-12 students, will be instructed to update their passwords starting on Monday. New passwords will be generated and distributed by the district for elementary students in order to ensure a strong security posture across all accounts.

Schwarz reassured the community that the district is actively working with authorities as the investigation into the incident continues. Any further updates will be communicated to stakeholders as needed, and individuals with questions or concerns are encouraged to reach out to info@rpsnj.us.

In conclusion, Schwarz wished everyone a pleasant extended weekend and signed the statement as Superintendent of Ridgewood Public Schools. The district’s proactive response to the cybersecurity incident highlights the importance of maintaining strong security measures to safeguard sensitive information and prevent potential breaches in the future.

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