A Burnaby School District cyberattack is being investigated after an incident disrupted internal network services and phone lines across the district. The Burnaby School District said the cyber incident came to its attention on Monday, September 21, and that staff are working to contain the incident and restore affected services.
The district has not disclosed whether any personal or sensitive information was accessed or stolen. However, the disruption has raised concerns about potential data leaks as the investigation continues.
Burnaby School District Cyberattack Disrupts Operations
According to the district, the incident has affected some systems and operations, including internal network services and phone lines. Staff across Burnaby Schools are working to restore normal operations while limiting the impact on students.
The district said the disruption has not affected student learning and that staff are working to ensure schools can continue supporting students.
Families, staff, and district partners were contacted earlier in the week about the incident. The district said it will provide additional updates as efforts to contain the incident and restore services continue.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the district has not provided further details about the nature of the incident, the suspected attackers, or whether information was compromised.
The latest incident follows other school district cyberattacks and cybersecurity incidents that have disrupted education services and raised concerns about the security of student and staff information.
Education Sector Faces Repeated Cybersecurity Incidents
In September, The Cyber Express reported on the Springfield cyberattack, which disrupted school operations shortly after the start of the new academic year. The incident forced schools to close for part of the week and affected services relied on by families, including childcare and school meal programs.
The district arranged grab-and-go meals at six locations while the YMCA of Greater Springfield provided full-day care for families enrolled in its programs. Students were expected to return to classrooms the following Monday.
The Springfield incident highlighted how a cyberattack against school systems can extend beyond IT operations and affect essential services used by students and families.
Earlier in 2026, a separate QLearn cybersecurity incident involving education technology provider Instructure affected educational institutions globally. Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek confirmed that the Queensland Department of Education had been briefed about the international breach.
Early assessments indicated that the incident could affect more than 200 million people and more than 9,000 institutions worldwide.
Education Authority Cyberattack Targeted School Systems
In April 2026, an Education Authority cyberattack investigation found that attackers had gained targeted access to personal information linked to a small number of schools.
Authorities identified the incident on April 10 after being alerted to suspicious activity affecting school systems. A forensic investigation later determined that attackers had accessed specific personal information associated with certain schools.
The findings added to concerns surrounding cybersecurity risks in the education sector, where school networks can contain sensitive information belonging to students and staff.
For the Burnaby School District, the current investigation is focused on containing the incident and restoring affected services. The district has not confirmed any data theft or provided details about possible unauthorized access.
As the investigation progresses, further updates are expected from the district on the scope of the incident, affected systems and any potential impact on personal information.
