AMITE CITY, La. — Phones and emails at the Tangipahoa Parish Public School System will be turned off for most of the day Monday after officials discovered a possible cyber-security issue Sunday.
Last week, Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a statewide emergency after three ongoing cyber-security incidents at school systems in Sabine, Morehouse and Ouachita parishes in north Louisiana.
In a statement on the school system's website, Tangipahoa School Superintendent Melissa Stilley said the parish's issues appear to be similar to problems seen the north Louisiana district offices.
“Three North Louisiana school districts reported last week that cyberattacks had shut down their district phone lines and locked and encrypted school system data,” Stilley said. “These cybercriminals target state and local government agencies, infecting their computer networks with malware or locking down the network for a ransom.”
Stilley added that IP phone connection at all offices, schools and registration centers have been shut down due to the possible cyber-security threat. Employees and students will not be able to access their TangiSchools email through the district website.
“Our team is working around the clock to address any concerns and certify our back-up systems,” Stilley said.
Stilley said an announcement will be made when the network is back online.