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BlueBleed Announcement
The Washoe County School District, Office of Information Technology is aware of the recent report regarding the Microsoft BlueBleed data leak and has initiated contact with our District’s Microsoft account representative to fully understand the extent of WCSD’s data exposure.
A security research group called SOCRadar published a report indicating that the WCSD domain was impacted in some capacity. No information or details regarding the nature and scope of any potentially exposed information has been publicly released.
Microsoft’s official statement states that impacted information may have included “names, email addresses, email content, company name, and phone numbers, and may have included attached filed relating to business between a customer and Microsoft or an authorized Microsoft partner” and that impacted customers have already been directly notified.
If you have received any direct notice(s) regarding this data exposure, please contact us at security@washoeschools.net, so that we can accurately track any potential exposure.
Additional information regarding this data leak can be found at:
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Online Document Storage Issue 2021
Online Document Storage Issue 2021:
Exactly what happened?
On Tuesday, February 2, 2021 WCSD was notified of an academic integrity issue involving the District’s online document storage system. Immediately upon learning of the improper access, our IT Department shut down the system’s search function, and made it impossible for students and employees to view files other than their own, or files that were shared specifically with them. This incident was internally limited to Washoe County School District users only, and was the result of improperly applied sharing settings. Essentially, some users were assigning document sharing too broadly, and may have inadvertently allowed access to cloud documents by employees or students other than their intended audience.
What information was accessed?
The IT Department is currently auditing the system to determine which permissions may have been incorrectly applied, and the District will provide additional information on the scope of the issue as soon as it is available.
How is the cloud document system used?
The sharing system is an online repository where students and staff may create, store, and share classwork for both group and individual projects. This system is not typically used to store private student/staff data or information. This system is not related to Infinite Campus, and no student achievement data in that system was able to be accessed or compromised.
What is WCSD doing to fix this?
The IT Department disabled the search portal – which enabled students and employees to perform searches for improperly permissioned documents. In addition, the IT Department is auditing the online document system to determine which file and folder permissions may have been incorrectly applied, and will work with the affected users on proper sharing settings.
How do I file a FERPA complaint?
Although WCSD is not aware of any student records accessed by unauthorized viewers, an authorized viewing of your student’s educational record would constitute a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Click here for more information