Hanover County Public Schools, which serves communities north of Richmond, Virginia, said a “possible data incident” disrupted divisionwide internet access and multiple systems, forcing staff to shift to offline instruction as investigators work with outside cybersecurity specialists and government partners.
WRIC-TV reported the disruption left internet service and multiple district systems unavailable across the division, and school officials said they did not yet have an estimated timeline for restoring service.
The district said it is investigating and responding to the incident, but officials have not described the cause or said whether it involved a cyberattack.
As of Thursday, the division said families who need to reach staff were told to contact schools by phone.
The district said student Chromebooks appear to be on a separate Google domain and do not appear to be affected, but their use will be paused as “an added precaution.”
HCPS said the investigation and repair work are ongoing.
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In a public update, the district said it “immediately engaged cybersecurity professionals, outside legal counsel, and other state and federal officials” to investigate and remediate the issue. It said it is “very limited” in what it can share while following experts’ guidance.
The district has not identified the nature of the incident or who may be responsible. There have been no public claims of responsibility. The district did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Virginia K-12 systems have faced a series of disruptions since fall 2025. Mecklenburg County Public Schools imposed a “technology lockdown” in early September after a cybersecurity incident took systems offline, with later reporting saying the Qilin ransomware group publicly claimed responsibility. Halifax County Public Schools reported in early October that it was investigating a cyber incident and shut down some systems, including cutting internet access at school facilities as a precaution. Manassas City Public Schools closed Nov. 10 after a weekend cybersecurity incident caused phone and network outages, and the division planned to reopen after the Veterans Day holiday as restoration work continued.
Hanover County Public Schools serves about 17,000 students across 24 schools in the Richmond-area county.
HCPS said it will provide additional information as it becomes available and as its response team allows. For now, the division is preparing for at least a week of instruction that does not require technology.
