CBC News is investigating the growth of malicious malware in Canada, where schools are reporting thousands of students having their computers infected with a single virus.
In an update to its security guidelines published Wednesday, the federal government said it has detected more than 3,300 suspicious or suspicious-looking malicious files in Canada’s schools, more than double the number reported in April.
In a statement, the Education Department said it will continue to work with schools to identify and remove these files.
It added that the number of suspected or suspected-affected students in schools has increased by 2,600 since the April update, from 3,800 to 3,900.
More than 100 schools in Ontario and B.C. have reported infections of malicious files, and more than 100 more are expected to follow, the department said.
Schools were notified of the infections on May 31, the same day the virus was first identified.
The Canadian Association of School Administrators said in a statement that schools are often targeted by malware that is “in the process of evolving” to evade detection.
“We have seen this for a number of years, and it has led to a number very high school students being infected in some cases,” said Dr. Mark Hirsch, president of the association.
“But it has not been the norm.
It has been very common for us to see students being targeted as well.”
Hirsch added that many schools are now using security cameras to monitor the virus, and some schools have reported that students have been infected on their own computers.
“Some of these viruses have already been in the wild, but there are some schools that have been able to identify them and have actually used their own cameras to capture and track them down,” he said.
The Education Department has said schools have been notified of more than 2,000 suspicious or suspected cases of viruses in Canada in the past five months.
In April, the ministry reported 1,988 cases, with about half of those reported in Ontario.
It has also said it believes the number could be higher.
“The number of students infected in Canada is a number that has remained relatively stable over the last few years, with no significant increase in infections or in the number detected,” the department wrote.
But in a blog post, the organization called on the government to take action.
“It’s clear to us that many students, including many in schools, are still experiencing problems accessing educational content or services, and the impact this may have on their learning, academic performance, social isolation, and even their safety,” the post said.