KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
November 8, 2022
By Natalie Cook Clark
Yesterday, the Katy ISD Police Department Twitter account was hacked, resulting in fake messages being sent to Katy families.
Katy ISD announced the hacking yesterday
Yesterday, Katy ISD informed students, parents and staff that the Katy ISD Police Department’s Twitter account was “hacked and compromised by an unauthorized source”. The hacker(s) posted a series of unauthorized messages on the account over the period November 7-11, 2022, related to alleged bomb threats against Katy ISD schools.
“The District recognizes that false news can raise alarms. Your patience and understanding is greatly appreciated as this matter is resolved,” Katy ISD said in a statement.
Ongoing investigation
“Katy ISD Police and our technology teams continue to investigate all leads and information regarding these fake social media posts,” the district said.
They emphasize that any Katy ISD student associated with this news will face consequences under the district’s disciplinary plan and student code of conduct, in addition to possible criminal penalties.
Katy ISD’s technology department is also working with Twitter to fix the security breach.
Further investigation revealed that the fake news, which related to school bomb threats, came from an outside source who had created digitally altered tweets intended to appear as if they had been posted by the Katy ISD Police Department.
Katy ISD says that yesterday they saw several digitally altered social media posts containing misinformation circulating on social media.
The District reminds parents, students and staff to check Katy ISD’s official social media accounts for verified and up-to-date information. Official accounts for Katy ISD and the Katy ISD Police Department are @katyisd and @katyisdpolice.
prevent hacking
Hacking can happen in today’s digital world. Here are some simple tips you can try to protect your digital accounts. While these steps can’t guarantee hackers will stop, they can help.
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Create strong passwords
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Keep software up to date
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Install virus protection
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Do not open unknown attachments
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Be wary of unsolicited
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Use encryption technology
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Report suspicious activity immediately
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