Minneapolis Public Schools

Minneapolis Public Schools operates as a public school district providing K-12 education within its jurisdiction in the United States. It manages a network of physical school buildings and associated infrastructure necessary for delivering instructional services and administrative functions to students and staff. The district's core services encompass classroom instruction, student support, facility operations, and administrative management across its educational facilities.

The district experienced a significant ransomware attack on February 20, 2023, causing widespread disruption to its technological systems. This incident impacted critical operational components including internet connectivity, phone systems, security cameras, building access control via badges, copiers and printers, and building alarms. In response, Minneapolis Public Schools restored encrypted data using backups and implemented several cybersecurity mitigation measures. These actions included deploying endpoint detection tools, forcing password updates across accounts, implementing multi-factor authentication, and engaging third-party cybersecurity specialists for assistance. Although investigations found no evidence of personal data compromise, the district proactively advised password resets for accounts accessed on school devices during the outage period. The disruption necessitated temporary shifts to e-learning days, but no instructional days were ultimately lost due to coinciding conferences and weather closures. The incident remains under investigation, with no ransomware group claiming responsibility for the attack.