Breaches and incidents
Richmond Public Schools (Virginia): cybersecurity incident with ransom note forces districtwide internet shutdown
WTVR reported that district leaders “detected suspicious activity on the RPS network” and Superintendent Jason Kamras said the incident is “disrupting...
- Disclosed
- Verification
- Confirmed by two or more outlets
What happened
- WTVR reported that district leaders “detected suspicious activity on the RPS network” and Superintendent Jason Kamras said the incident is “disrupting several operational systems”; internet access was taken offline districtwide, which “limits phone and email service, as well as access to online classroom tools and learning platforms.”
- Root cause: not disclosed.
- No attacker named; the Richmond Times-Dispatch (via GovTech, 22 Oct 2026) reported on-screen messages on school laptops reading “We have gained access to your network, extracted sensitive data” and demanding a “secure chat for negotiation” within 72 hours, and the note claimed the data included “personal, financial and operational information.”
- Schools stayed open in a “technology-free learning environment”, and Kamras said the district is “actively working with outside cybersecurity experts and law enforcement”; whether data was taken was not confirmed.