Superintendent commends tech lead after district email account takeover; two‑factor authentication rolled out

The superintendent used his report to commend Vincent Regalado and district technology staff for responding to an email account takeover that sent approximately 5,400 messages and posed a potential data risk.

"Within five minutes of this account being taken over, we understood what happened. We were on top of it, and it was because of Vincent and his team being able to identify that this was a challenge," the superintendent said, presenting a certificate of recognition.

The superintendent told trustees that Vincent assembled a response team that included the California Cybersecurity Integration Center, the state Office of Emergency Services, the Homeland Security division and the Atascadero Police Department, and that the district launched two-factor authentication for accounts days after the incident. The superintendent said the incident occurred at a particularly busy time for district technology staff and while the district was without a director of technology, and he praised Vincent for stepping up to lead the response.

Trustees and other speakers thanked Vincent publicly; the superintendent said a written commendation will be finalized and that staff would continue to review protections and communications procedures.