Fake Messages Sent From Digitally Altered Tweet Looking Like Katy ISD Police Department

KATY MAGAZINE NEWS

November 8, 2022

By Natalie Cook Clark

Yesterday the Katy ISD Police Department Twitter account was reported to be hacked that resulted in fake messages being sent to Katy families. Later the District confirmed that it was actually a “digitally altered tweets designed to look like they were posted by the Katy ISD Police Department.”

Katy ISD Announced the Hacking Yesterday

Yesterday Katy ISD informed students, parents, and staff that the Twitter account for the Katy ISD Police Department was “hacked and manipulated by an unauthorized source.” The hacker(s) released a series of unauthorized messages on the account that referenced alleged bomb threats to Katy ISD schools over the course of November 7-11, 2022. Later they shared that it was actually “digitally altered tweets designed to look like they were posted by the Katy ISD Police Department.”

“The District recognizes that these false messages may cause some alarm. Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated as this matter is resolved,” stated Katy ISD in a statement.

Ongoing Investigation

“Katy ISD Police and our Technology teams continue to investigate all leads and information pertaining to these fake social media posts,” states the District.

They stress that any Katy ISD student found to be involved with these messages will face consequences in accordance with the District’s Discipline Management Plan and Student Code of Conduct, alongside any potential criminal consequences.

The Katy ISD Technology Department is also working with Twitter to address the security breach.

Further investigation determined that the fake messages that referenced school bomb threats originated from an external source that had created digitally altered tweets designed to look like they were posted by the Katy ISD Police Department.

Katy ISD says they have seen multiple digitally altered social media posts with misinformation circulating via social media yesterday.

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 into today’s digital world. Here are some easy tips to try and protect your digital accounts. While these steps cannot guarantee to stop hacking, they can help.