A change to the Duluth Public Schools website is coming at the end of March.

The district announced they are removing the staff directory, in an effort to stop cybercriminals from scraping data from the site.

Parents are now able to use the secure platform called ParentSquare to communicate.

And not many people were actively seeking information on the director, according to their analytics.

Here’s their full statement:

“As part of our ongoing commitment to cybersecurity, we have made the decision to remove full staff directories from our school and district websites at the end of the month. An example of this type of directory can be found at www.isd709.org/faculty-staff-directory.

This decision was not made lightly and comes after website analytics have shown our directory information is being scrapped by bad actors. Data scraping, in its most general form, refers to a technique in which a computer program extracts data from a program or website. Data scraping is often used to collect email addresses for the purpose of spamming or scamming, including sending viruses or malware through emails. Malware was used to attack schools in our state, such as Minneapolis, last year.

By removing these directories, we aim to significantly reduce the risk of such vulnerabilities and ensure a safer digital environment for everyone involved.

We understand the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between families and our teaching staff. To facilitate this we encourage you to use ParentSquare to communicate with your student’s teachers. ParentSquare offers a secure and user-friendly platform for messaging, updates, and important notifications. If you have not already done so, we strongly recommend signing up for an account to stay connected and informed.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we take necessary steps to enhance our cybersecurity measures. Protecting our school community is a top priority and we appreciate your partnership in this effort.”

There is a technology referendum coming up on May 14th, to help fund firewalls and other security measures.