WCPS Helpdesk quickly blocks third-party content issue; Superintendent responds to parents

On the evening of September 8, 2020, Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) staff was notified that a third-party service is used to help support remote learning had been compromised. Our content filter did not catch this breach because it occurred outside our network. The breach occurred after the website had been approved through our filter and before our filter had picked up any changes with the website. WCPS currently uses Cipafilter as our internet content filter. The filter uses real-time context-sensitive filtering to learn new behaviors and make adjustments to items that need to be blocked.

WCPS also has other technologies in place to keep our students safe online, and we will review the third-party service provider’s history before they can be utilized as a resource. We make student safety a priority every single day, and we will continue to strengthen our protocols to ensure the security of our online programming.

WCPS staff worked quickly to identify the issue and to remove the source from our network. The source has now been blocked from use by any WCPS employee or student using his/her WCPS login credentials or the WCPS network. We are dedicated to providing a safe learning environment and our system technicians will continue to monitor our network daily.

WCPS apologizes for this incident and asks that we are notified immediately if something like this occurs in the future. Please contact your child’s teacher, school administrator, and/or the WCPS Helpdesk to inform us of any situation that needs immediate attention.

WCPS Helpdesk Contact Information
Phone: 540-636-8509 option 1
Email: helpdesk@wcps.k12.va.us

Chris Ballenger, Ed.D.
Superintendent