Gloucester County school district targeted by hackers SWEDESBORO
“Gloucester County school district targeted by hackers”
SWEDESBORO, N. J. -- Swedesboro Woolwich School District felt like it was thrown back into the Stone Age after hackers wreaked havoc, taking over the district's computer network and holding it for ransom. The hack meant no email, no access to files and no PARCC - a computer-based state testing for elementary students. The district says no sensitive student or employee information was obtained. A district spokesperson says the network was hijacked Friday night by a malware that is so new it's undetectable by current anti-virus software. The hackers demanded 500 bitcoin - an online currency worth roughly $125, 000 in real cash. The fact that a small South Jersey school district in a small Gloucester County community was targeted even has third grader Ollie Comegys baffled. "Why would they do this? It's a school district, why they want money for it? " he said. On Wednesday night, IT employees were working late at the administrative offices. . . rebuilding the network and working to make it more secure. The district says their email is back and state testing has resumed. It's also changing practices and procedures and working with a company to tighten network security
In Other News n n Why would a pilot get locked out of a cockpit, unable to get inside as a plane descended and crashed into the French Alps? That's the latest mystery stemming from the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525. Audio from the plane's cockpit voice recorder reveals one of the pilots trying to smash down the cockpit door in the minutes before impact. Did the pilot in the cockpit suffer a medical emergency? Or is it possible that the pilot in the cockpit intentionally locked out the second pilot? As crews find more evidence, they hope greater detail will become more clear. Ford says it has the answer for speed demons who can't keep their gas pedals off the metal: A car that reads speed limit signs and automatically slows down. Ford says that the newest edition of its S-Max car has "a new technology that scans traffic signs and adjusts the throttle to help drivers stay within legal speed limits and avoid fines. " The new system, called the intelligent speed limiter, was unveiled by Ford of Europe in Germany on Tuesday. But Ford's European division said the technology will be available worldwide. The S-Max can read signs with its traffic sign recognition system and adjusts for speed accordingly. And it doesn't need to pull down the brake to slow down the car. "The system does not apply the brakes but smoothly controls engine torque by electronically adjusting the amount of fuel delivered, " the company said in a press release.
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