Ransomware Attack Disrupted Evanston High School
The district accelerated a software transition following a June 2026 cyberattack that disabled critical infrastructure.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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Evanston Township High School District 202 experienced a significant ransomware attack in June 2026 that disabled phone lines, internet, and public address systems. The school remained closed for two days while officials initiated security recovery efforts.
Why it matters
The incident forced the school to replace its existing platform with new software and overhaul security protocols to remove malware remnants from staff and student devices. District leadership continues to work with the FBI to investigate the breach.
Recovery efforts required the complete reimaging of staff laptops, mandatory password resets for Google accounts, and the installation of new antivirus agents. The school also discontinued the production of physical identification cards for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The players
Evanston Township High School District 202
This is the educational institution that serves the students and faculty of the Evanston community.
FBI
The federal agency is collaborating with local authorities to investigate the cybersecurity incident.
Superintendent Campbell
The district official who provided updates regarding the recovery and ongoing security improvements at a school board meeting.
The details
Following the attack, the district accelerated its migration from the PowerSchool platform to the Infinite Campus system to bolster digital security. Volunteers in the ChromeZone assisted in the cleanup by resetting student passwords and installing new software to purge remaining malware.
Timeline
In 2020, cybercriminals defrauded the district of $48,570.
A 2025 data breach of PowerSchool affected Evanston/Skokie District 65.
The ransomware attack targeted the school district in June 2026.
The school reopened on June 10, 2026, after safety system testing.
Superintendent Campbell acknowledged ongoing work at a September 2026 meeting.
The Tech Race
This incident follows the 2025 PowerSchool data breach of District 65, marking a continuation of cybersecurity challenges facing school systems in the area. The school is shifting away from legacy platforms to more secure software architectures to mitigate recurring vulnerabilities.
Students and faculty had to navigate prolonged service outages, including a 16-day period where school phone lines remained inactive. Families should also be aware that the shift to the new Infinite Campus platform and the removal of physical ID cards change daily administrative procedures.
The takeaway
Maintaining digital hygiene through frequent password resets and updated antivirus software is essential for school districts to protect personal information. Implementing comprehensive software migrations can help schools move past legacy system vulnerabilities after a security breach.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments regarding Cybersecurity measures in the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Northwestern.
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