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WEBVTT AT THISPOINT, IT IS BACK ON COMEWEDNESDAY.FOR OUR TUESDAY IN OCTOBER,JOHNSTON SCHOOLS WERE REALLYQUIET.>> THIS IS A TOUGH DECISION.IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE TAKELIGHTLY, BUT AT THE END OF THEDAY, OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS TOKEEP STUDENTS AND STAFF SAFE>> THE DISTRICT DECIDED TOCANCEL CLASSES ON MONDAY NIGHTWHEN PARENTS AND STUDENTS BEGANRECEIVING TEXT MESSAGES FROM818-275-6848.SOME OF THE MESSAGES CONTAINEDPERSONAL INFORMATION, ONE GOINGON TO SAY I'M GOING TO KILL SOMEKIDS AT YOUR SON'S HIGH SCHOO>> AT THIS TIME, WE CANNOTSUBSTANTIATE ANY CREDIBLE ORIMMINENT THREATS TO ANY OF OURSCHOOLS, STUDENTS, PARENTS ORSTAFF. HANNAH: JAY LETTOW IS A JOHNSTONPARENT.HE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY OF THETHREATS, BUT IS STILL WATCHINGTHE UPDATES FROM POLICE CLOSELY.>> WHEN YOU FIRST HEAR THATABOUT CHILDREN, IT'SUNFATHOMABLE TO THINK THATANYBODY WOULD WANT TO WRITE ORSAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT. HANNAH: BECAUSE OF THE ACTIVEINVESTIGATION, POLICE WOULD NOTGO INTO DETAILS OF HOW MANYMESSAGES WERE SENT OR HOW THEPERSONAL INFORMATION WASOBTAINED.BUT THEY WANT TO LET THE PUBLICKNOW, YOU ARE SAFE.>> WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WEPOSSIBLY CAN TO MAKE CERTAINTHAT INDIVIDUALS KNOW WE ARE ONTHIS, WE'RE WORKING IT.WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERSRIGHT NOW, BUT THERE IS NO

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The hacking group The Dark Overlord has claimed responsibility for the threatening text messages that targeted Johnston students and their parents. The disturbing messages forced the district to cancel classes Tuesday and cause a delay Wednesday, which affected about 7,200 students and 1,000 district employees. In an email to members of the Johnston Community School District, Superintendent Corey Lunn said the group posted school directory files on a publicly accessible website, which includes student names, addresses and telephone numbers. “As parents, it is clear we are living in changing times, one that poses many challenges given the prominent role technology plays in all of our lives,” Lunn said. “However, I want to reassure you we are taking this cyberbreach very seriously.” Officials said they are unsure of the group’s motivation, but The Dark Overlord has hacked a number of private companies -- such as Netflix, Gorilla Glue, health care providers and private manufacturers -- in an attempt to extort money.RELATED: Police ID individual who sent threatening 'copycat' texts“With the Netflix attack, they tried to extort them out of money in exchange for not releasing content,” said Brad Dwyer, a Des Moines-area developer. “Oftentimes in cases like this, it’s not the source of information itself that gets hacked. It’s somebody in the organization who has access to the information that gets hacked.” Dwyer said users have to be extra careful because tracking down the source of the hack is “like an onion, where you have to peel back the layers.” “If they’ve gone through 100 different computers, have to find computer one, two, three and four. By the time you get back to the back of it, that information is not there anymore, and there’s nobody sitting behind that computer,” he said. Dwyer said as the world becomes more digital, cybersecurity is just as important as remembering to lock the doors in your house. “If you use this same password on different sites, it makes it very easy for something that wouldn’t have been a big deal, to escalate and snowball into something that really could be dangerous for you,” Dwyer said. Joseph Cox, a reporter for the Daily Beast who broke the hack, tweeted Friday that the reason The Dark Overlord is targeting schools and threating children is because the FBI told victims not to pay and that the group needs more of an impact. The hackers’ identities remain unknown, but law enforcement authorities are aware of their presence around the country due to the cybersecurity threats they pose, Lunn said.RELATED: Threats reported at more school districts, 1 closes Johnston police do not believe the cyberthreats post a credible or physical threat to students and staff, Lunn said, but since potentially sensitive information is accessible on a public website, “it is advisable to operate with a heightened sense of awareness.” No arrests had been made in the case as of Friday evening. The district decided to cancel classes Monday night after parents and students began receiving text messages from 818-275-6848. Some of the messages contained personal information -- one going on to say "I'm going to kill some kids at your son's high school." "We cannot substantiate any credible or imminent threats to any of our schools, students, parents or staff,” Johnston Police Chief Dennis McDaniel said. Johnston parent Jay Lettow said he did not receive any threats, but he is watching updates from police closely. "When you first hear that about children, it's unfathomable to think that anybody would want to write or say anything like that,” Lettow said. Due to the active investigation, police would not go into details on how many messages were sent or how the personal information was obtained. McDaniel said he wants the public to know they are safe. "We're doing everything we possibly can to make certain that individuals know we are on this, we're working it,” McDaniel said. “We don't have all the answers right now, but there is no imminent threat." McDaniel told KCCI that the messages may continue and that anyone who receives a message should refrain from engaging in conversation with the messenger and instead send the information to authorities. Additional police officers were sent to Johnston schools Wednesday when it reopened. The Johnston Police Department is advising individuals to ensure the protection of their identity and personal information by enacting the following security measures:Change passwords frequently while ensuring they are strong and secure; utilize different passwords for different accounts.Only give your Social Security number when it is necessary, and keep your SSN card in a secure location. Do not carry it in your wallet.Keep items with personal information in a safe place and either shred or tear them up when you do not need.Order a copy of your credit report from each credit-reporting agency.Before revealing personal financial information, find out whom you are dealing with, how the information will be used, and if it will be shared with others.Verify your credit card and credit union statements each month for unauthorized charges or suspicious activity.Photocopy financial and insurance cards you carry in your wallet (front and back) and keep original copies in a safe place -- in the event your wallet is lost or stolen.To secure your identity, you can request a copy of a credit report from the following credit bureaus.Experian – www.experian.com, 888-397-3742Equifax – www.equifax.com, 800-685-1111TransUnion – www.transunion.com, 800-916-8800KCCI's Tommie Clark contributed to this report.