Paterson: 23,000 school district passwords stolen in data breach

guest · May 13, 2019

Paterson: 23,000 school district passwords stolen in data breach
May 13, 2019
http://patersontimes.com/2019/05/13/paterson-23000-school-district-passwords-stolen-in-data-breach/

A massive data breach has struck the Paterson Public Schools, claiming 23,103 account passwords and other computer access tokens, according to information reviewed by the Paterson Times over the weekend.

Information stolen in the breach includes desktop logins, email usernames and passwords, and laptop credentials. For example, the email usernames and passwords of all school district employees — including that of the superintendent, administrators, teachers, and other staff members — were dumped, deposited into a file that runs more than 116,000 lines.

School district officials were unaware of the breach until Monday morning.
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Simmons, who has a background in information technology (IT), said the hacker must have gotten access to one or more district servers.
It’s not clear how the preparator gained access to the district’s system.

“It sounds like they are in the network and they are on the servers. Or they are on the network and they are capturing the information,” said Simmons.
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guest · May 16, 2019

Paterson school superintendent Shafer threatens to sue newspaper for exposing data breach
May 16, 2019
http://patersontimes.com/2019/05/16...ns-to-sue-newspaper-for-exposing-data-breach/

After a news story exposed a massive data breach at the Paterson Public Schools, superintendent Eileen Shafer threatened to sue the Paterson Times for purported “serious reputational harm” to the school district, a lawsuit that would be prohibited by law.
Shafer issued her threat in a letter signed by the district’s attorney Robert E. Murray. Her spokesman Paul Brubaker emailed the letter at 4:42 p.m. on Monday, 52 minutes after the story appeared on the frontpage of the newspaper website.

“This is serious reputational harm to the entire school district. Thus, a civil court action must be pursued,” reads Murray’s letter. He asserts the breach, which claimed more than 23,000 account passwords and was not detected until the Paterson Times brought it to the district’s attention, has caused the school system to be “unfairly held out for ridicule in the community.”

New Jersey has one of the strongest reporter’s privileges in the U.S., allowing journalists to protect both sources and information.
Prominent First Amendment and media law lawyers slammed the district for its attempt to threaten and intimidate.
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guest · May 20, 2019

After threatening lawsuit, Shafer now says she did not intend to sue Paterson Times for exposing data breach
May 20, 2019
http://patersontimes.com/2019/05/20...-sue-paterson-times-for-exposing-data-breach/

After threatening to file a lawsuit against the Paterson Times for exposing a massive data breach in an unauthorized letter, superintendent Eileen Shafer backtracked on Friday afternoon stating she had no intentions to sue a reporter or a news organization.
“Neither the reporter nor his news organization was the potential target for any litigation by the District,” said Shafer.

School board members were caught off guard by Shafer’s threatening letter. She did not consult the nine-member board prior to sending out the letter, according to board members.
“During emerging conditions, a Superintendent of Schools must be able to take immediate action. The recent issue of cyber security in the Paterson Public School district required such action,” said Shafer in defending her unilateral action.
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guest · Nov 1, 2019

One or more Paterson students were allegedly responsible for district data breach
November 1, 2019
http://patersontimes.com/2019/11/01...legedly-responsible-for-district-data-breach/

One or more students were allegedly responsible for the massive data breach that struck the district late last year, according to sources briefed on a preliminary investigation conducted by a firm contracted by the district.

Superintendent Eileen Shafer’s administration won’t make the findings public, stating it is “attorney-client privileged material.” The district hired the law firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott to investigate the data breach, which claimed more than 23,000 passwords. Investigation followed reporting in the Paterson Times about the data breach.

Her spokesman, Paul Brubaker, said, “As you have been informed, the document you are requesting is protected by the laws governing attorney-client privilege. At this time, no one has the authority to waive attorney-client privilege.”
Shafer and her spokesman had denied the data breach occurred in the face of incontrovertible evidence earlier in the year while publicly stating the district is taking various steps – changing all passwords and requiring two-factor authentication — to harden the security of its computer systems.
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guest · Nov 26, 2019

Paterson school district spent $13,800 on data breach investigation. But won’t make findings public
November 26, 2019
http://patersontimes.com/2019/11/26...-investigation-but-wont-make-findings-public/

Superintendent Eileen Shafer’s administration spent $13,816 in public funds in its investigation of the data breach that claimed tens of thousands of school district passwords, according to public documents reviewed by the Paterson Times.
Public records show the firm began investigating the data breach three weeks after the Paterson Times reported on the incident that claimed 23,103 account passwords and other computer access tokens.

By Aug. 28, the law firm produced a legal analysis and a report of the “cyber incident.” A final report was produced on Sept. 3, according to records.
School board members were told of the findings in a closed-door meeting in Sept.

Some suggested the district is avoiding public disclosure of the report due to a notice of claim filed by the Paterson Education Association, the teachers’ union. The claim notice accuses the district of “wrongful actions” and “inaction” related to the data breach. It also accuses the district of “negligence” and “invasion of privacy by public disclosure of private facts” and “failure to destroy certain records” and “failure to notify explicitly following breach.”
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