UPDATED: Prov. Schools Staff Told Not to Log On to Internet Due to "Technical Difficulties"

UPDATED: Prov. Schools Staff Told Not to Log On to Internet Due to "Technical Difficulties"

Providence Public Schools' internet network has reportedly been hit with "technical difficulties." 

As GoLocal first reported, the school community was alerted to the issue Wednesday night (see below). 

Now, the Providence Public Schools Department has sent out an update on Thursday morning. 

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We write to inform you that, yesterday, PPSD IT staff detected irregular activity on our network and took immediate action to investigate and address it. IT staff followed proper security protocols and worked to isolate the issue which has been contained. Out of an abundance of caution, the District quickly engaged a third-party IT company to provide additional professional support. Following their recommendation, the District shut down the network, and the IT experts are now conducting a forensic review of the network. Internet access is currently down at all PPSD sites, and we are working diligently to restore it. 

The investigation is ongoing. At this time, there is no evidence that any data has been impacted. As the experts complete their review and gather more information, we will provide additional updates and keep the community informed. We continue to work to address any potential service interruptions and ensure PPSD operations are minimally impacted. Staff from central administration have been deployed to provide additional support at the school level. School security systems and protocols remain active while classes continue. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this.

GoLocal also obtained internal messaging as to the impact on the schools - SEE BELOW

 

 

First Communications

The following message was shared to the PPSD community on Wednesday: 

PPSD is currently experiencing technical difficulties across some of our networks impacting internet access. IT is working diligently to resolve these issues. 

Out of an abundance of caution, please refrain from connecting your PPSD computers & devices to your home network & mobile devices. Thank you.

GoLocal spoke with Providence Teachers Union (PTU) President Maribeth Calabro on Thursday about the impact.

"Teachers were notified last night by the PTU and the district," said Calabro. "They were able to pivot some instruction to the 'old' paper and pencil way."  

"Much of our curricular products are online based but have a paper component," she added. "So, inconvenient, yes, but teachers are doing a great job adjusting."

First published 9/12/2024 10:38 AM

Updated 9/12/2024 12:58 PM