Computer Security Breach in Irvington

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July 2, 2015

| by Rick Pezzullo |

A criminal investigation into an internal breach of security within the Irvington School District’s computer network is ongoing.

Superintendent of Schools Kristopher Harrison issued a letter to district parents on June 19 stating “significant evidence pointing to specific students who gained access to the district’s network through the theft of an authorized login credential” had been discovered on June 18.

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Reportedly, two 13-year-old Middle School students were identified by district officials and the Irvington Police Department. One of the students was reportedly questioned for nearly three hours by Middle School Principal David Sottile.

“We’re involved in a criminal case,” said Irvington Police Chief Michael Cerone. “The law has been violated.”

Cerone declined to discuss any specifics of the case and a call to Harrison was returned by district spokesperson Deirdre Gilligan, who said she couldn’t comment further on the investigation beyond what Harrison included in his correspondence.

In a June 24 follow-up letter to parents and school staff, Harrison stated the district was conducting its own investigation.

“In the district we have taken necessary steps to ensure the security of our network and related digital resources. Our efforts have been and continue to be the safety and security of our network and related data,” Harrison stated.

“I want to remind all users of the district computer network that we have significant evidence of malicious actions that compromised, or had the ability to compromise, the individual bank accounts, as well as district accounts, of network users (staff members and students),” he continued. “In addition to district resources, these included accounts such as banking, email, and related private sites. Therefore, it is recommended that all users who have accessed personal accounts on district computers change passwords.”

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