Hacker’s Cyberattack Shuts Down Jerome Schools

Kids in Jerome are getting a three-day weekend.  It follows a cyberattack on the school district's computer system.  A notice from the Jerome County Sheriff’s Office says student data wasn’t compromised.  We don’t know much more, but we understand why the school district's Internet Technology team would want to do a thorough review.  Attacks of this nature aren’t uncommon.  Sometimes there’s a hijacking of the system and ransom demands.  Twin Falls County government and many businesses have had that experience.  It could also be a prank by some very talented individual who delights in hacking for ego's sake.  We can only speculate at the moment and let the investigation go forward.

This Requires a Mobilized Response

I’m going to get on a soapbox for a moment and pitch AI data centers.  If foreign adversaries and other bad actors get ahead of us with this technology, they could run circles around us and shut down systems across the country, some of them critical for the economy, and even put lives at stake.

The Answer is to Declare a National Policy

The Magic Valley itself wouldn’t be a good choice for a buildout, because we already have water concerns for the basics of life in southern Idaho.  But there are places in America where we can build and create AI that would defend against hacking and attacks.  A good leader identifies the threat and then moves forward.  We need more of those, too.  Just remember, one success emboldens someone looking to wreak havoc on a wider scale.