Computer hackers attack Fairfax County school system

Hackers attacked the Fairfax County Public Schools computer system and placed ransomware on some of its systems, a school district spokesperson said Friday.

The district, which serves 189,000 students in northern Virginia, said it had recently learned of the attack and it is working with its security experts to investigate the scope of the attack and determine what information was stolen. Ransomware is software used to steal and then threaten publication of data or block access unless a ransom is paid.