Investigation confirms Floyd County Public Schools data breach

FLOYD COUNTY Va. (WDBJ) – Floyd County Public Schools reports the district has been hit with a breach of cyber security.

WDBJ7 first reported about the cybersecurity issue in September after receiving a tip from a concerned parent. That prompted our Target 7 team to contact Superintendent Jessica Cromer, who confirmed an investigation is underway.

Cromer said the school district is working with law enforcement, including the Virginia State Police Cyber Fusion Center and the FBI’s Cyber Crimes Division in Richmond to determine the extent of the problem.

We now know, like many schools across the country, the school district was the victim of a data breach.

Cromer told WDBJ7 in an email Friday, some personal information may have been compromised and accessible to cybercriminals. According to a notice on the district’s website, that could include information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers and medical information.

Floyd County Public Schools offers credit monitoring and identity restoration services from Kroll at no cost to families.

FCPS said it initially received a tip from law enforcement about the suspicious activity in August. Thanks to the quick response, school officials report that their systems were quickly secured.

Cromer told WDBJ7 at this time they have no reason to believe anyone’s personal information is being used maliciously, but they are offering those free resources to help reassure families.