Weeks after cyberattack, ETHS students receive phishing scam emails
Six weeks after a cyberattack shut down the campus for two days, several Evanston Township High School students received phishing emails this week.
The emails offered students part-time jobs paying $550 for two to three hours of work, three times a week and came from a student’s ETHS email account. The emails were signed by “Human Resource” [sic] at Evanston Township High School. The emails also contained a link where victims were then asked for personal information.
District 202 spokesperson Reine Hanna said in a statement this week the district removed the messages from its systems Tuesday and suspended the compromised account. She added that the incident was not connected to the June 7 cybersecurity incident and described it as a “routine cybersecurity matter.”
She also said that ETHS students and staff often receive guidance about identifying and reporting phishing attempts and other suspicious messages.
Phishing scams attempt to use email or text messages to steal passwords, account numbers or other sensitive information.
The June 7 cybersecurity incident, a ransomware attack, is still under investigation. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that blocks access to a computer system or data and demands a ransom for its release.
Along with forcing the closure of campus for two days, the June 7 attack compromised phone service at the school, which remained down until June 26. Earlier this week, the school announced that the cybersecurity attack it suffered this summer has also affected its parking lottery system, which allocates spaces on school property to eligible students.eligible students.
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