Evanston Township High School Hit by Ransomware Attack, Forcing Closure
Evanston Township High School (ETHS) in Illinois remains closed this week following a cybersecurity breach, which has disrupted critical operations and prompted an FBI investigation. The incident, suspected to be a ransomware attack, has taken down key systems, including network access, internet services, phone lines, and emergency operations, forcing the cancellation of Summer School classes and all on-campus activities.
District 202 spokesperson Reine Hanna confirmed that the full scope of the breach including whether any data was accessed or stolen remains unclear. Cybersecurity forensics teams are actively investigating the incident, though the exact cause has not yet been determined. Staff members are working remotely where possible, but the timeline for reopening remains uncertain.
ETHS expects to decide within the next 24 hours whether campus operations can safely resume, based on progress in restoring systems and securing the environment. Updates are being posted at eths202.org/Cybersecurityincident.
The attack follows a recent breach at nearby Northwestern University, where a hacking group targeted the Canvas online learning platform, affecting multiple colleges. The ETHS incident underscores the growing threat of ransomware against educational institutions, which often rely on interconnected digital systems for daily operations.
Source: https://evanstonnow.com/eths-still-trying-to-determine-scope-of-breach/
Evanston Township High School TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/ethsfoundation
"id": "eth1780946882",
"linkid": "ethsfoundation",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "6/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'students, staff, and faculty',
'industry': 'education',
'location': 'Evanston, Illinois, USA',
'name': 'Evanston Township High School (ETHS)',
'type': 'educational institution'}],
'description': 'Evanston Township High School (ETHS) in Illinois remains '
'closed this week following a cybersecurity breach, suspected '
'to be a ransomware attack, which has disrupted critical '
'operations including network access, internet services, phone '
'lines, and emergency operations. The incident has forced the '
'cancellation of Summer School classes and all on-campus '
'activities.',
'impact': {'operational_impact': 'closure of school, cancellation of Summer '
'School classes and on-campus activities',
'systems_affected': ['network access',
'internet services',
'phone lines',
'emergency operations']},
'investigation_status': 'ongoing',
'references': [{'source': 'ETHS Cybersecurity Incident Update',
'url': 'https://eths202.org/Cybersecurityincident'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'updates posted at '
'eths202.org/Cybersecurityincident',
'law_enforcement_notified': 'FBI',
'recovery_measures': 'restoring systems and securing the '
'environment',
'third_party_assistance': 'cybersecurity forensics teams'},
'title': 'Evanston Township High School Hit by Ransomware Attack, Forcing '
'Closure',
'type': 'ransomware'}