‘Suspicious activity’ on SOCSD network keeps teachers, students off school internet

STARKVILLE – Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District started the spring semester Tuesday without internet access thanks to a disruption to its computer service.

In a message sent to parents Monday morning, Communications Director Haley Montgomery said the discovery of “suspicious activity” during the winter break prompted the district to shut down network resources.

While students, teachers and staff are currently unable to access the network, Montgomery said the district is working quickly to resolve the issue.

“We are working diligently with third-specialists to investigate the source of this disruption, confirm its impact on our systems, and to restore full functionality to our network as soon as possible,” she wrote in a statement to The Dispatch.

As to what exactly the disruption is, Montgomery gave no specifics. She neglected to confirm whether it is a cybersecurity issue or if student data was accessed without authorization.

Once the district became aware of the disruption, the information technology team immediately shut down network resources, including internet access, in response, Montgomery wrote in the message to parents.

“Until the network is fully restored, our schools, teachers and staff may continue to experience disruptions to internet access or certain technology systems,” she said.

Montgomery did not directly address the impact the disruption would have on classroom learning.

“Every day our teachers provide direct, face-to-face instruction and support to students,” she said. “It is always a crucial part of the classroom environment, helping them grow and learn skills. That’s what our teachers are doing.”

Montgomery gave no more specifics about what is being done to address the problem, aside from the district’s goal of addressing it quickly.

“As our investigation into this matter is ongoing, we are unable to provide further detail at this time,” she said.

McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.