Upper Canada District School Board says 'cyber incident' has disrupted its internet, network

The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) says a "cyber incident" has caused a "significant network disruption" impacting all elementary and secondary schools as students and teachers return to class following the Christmas break.

There is no internet access at all elementary and secondary schools within the eastern Ontario school board on Monday following the incident.

"We can now confirm that our network disruption is due to a cyber incident, which has been ongoing since Sunday, Jan.5," the UCDSB said in a statement on its website.

"Police have been contacted and we are actively working with trusted experts to assess the impact and restore services. Our schools will remain open and classes will continue as usual, however, our schools will remain offline until we are able to safely restore network access."

The board initially informed parents and guardians on Sunday that it was experiencing a "significant network disruption," and there was no internet access at all schools. Staff have no access to email and the My Family Room will be offline.

The UCDSB says there is no indication that any personal data has been compromised.

The board says if a child will be away from school or you need to contact the school, parents and guardians should call the school directly.

"Do not try to email the office, principal or your teacher," the board said, adding schools have no access to social media platforms.

"This is not how we planned to return from the winter break, but we are happy that students will be back in the classroom – even if we are offline," the board said.

The Upper Canada District School Board includes schools in the counties of Lanark, Leeds, Grenville, Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Prescott and Russell. There are 77 elementary and secondary schools in the board.