Cyber Recovery Plans Must Cover Lost Access, Not Just Data
TechTarget, Friday, September 11th, 2026
Cyberattacks on Springfield schools and Everett's City Hall show recovery planning must address lost access to systems, not just data.
In September, an intrusion at Springfield Public Schools cut staff off from key platforms, including nurses' medication and allergy records, closing schools for four days, while Everett shut City Hall after a separate incident but kept essential services running.
The article argues the most visible damage came from lost access rather than data theft. Lessons include network segmentation, which kept Everett's separate school network operating, plus MFA, least privilege, asset inventories and prioritizing critical exposures.
It notes 73% of organizations with incident response plans say they couldn't fully execute them, and warns attackers frequently target backups.