Baltimore schools were closed for two days after the cyber attack

Schools in Baltimore will be closed for two days this week – and a ransomware attack, not the coronavirus, is to blame.

The Baltimore County Public Schools tweeted Saturday that there would be no classes Monday and Tuesday due to the computer breach.

“This gives our employees much-needed time to continue working on setting up the teaching platform and to communicate the next steps in terms of devices,” said BCPS about the two-day break.

The school district’s distance learning program, website, and email and rating systems were targeted by cyberattacks last week, WBAL-TV reported.

The district’s information technology department first identified the attack on Tuesday and notified staff early Wednesday.

Elena Lomicky, a kindergarten teacher, knew something was wrong when the headmistress told staff not to log into their computers.

“There was a little panic because I’m not tech-savvy at all,” the Villa Cresta elementary school teacher told WBAL. “It was alarming.”

The BCPS works with the Baltimore County Police Department on its criminal investigation.