System-wide network “attack” under investigation in Vermilion

All schools in the Vermilion Parish School System now have different phone numbers as investigators look for a “potential compromise” of the system’s networks.

According to a post on Abbeville High School’s Facebook page, parents and guardians are asked to only make their calls in emergencies and to use the phone numbers posted on each school’s social media account.

We reached out to Superintendent Tommy Byler, who told us, “This is a system-wide situation that we have brought in a team of experts to review.” No further comment at this time.

Here is the statement posted on Abbeville High’s social media late Sunday:

“Parents/Guardians, please read and share!

Message from Vermilion Schools
We want everyone to be aware that all Vermilion Parish School System networks and internet have been taken offline while we investigate a possible compromise of our systems. A team of experts from Baton Rouge will lead the investigation and guide us through the next steps. We feel we identified the attack early, but we want to move forward proactively and prevent further compromise of our system. Although we understand that there may be inconveniences due to our reliability in technology, we are taking every step to continue operations to the best of our ability. Because our phone lines are Internet phones, individual school phone numbers may change temporarily. If you need to reach the school you should contact the alternative number. These provisional numbers will be released on the school’s social media pages very soon.”

This is a developing story.