PowerSchool Data Breach: What You Need to Know
In a concerning development, PowerSchool, a major player in educational technology, has revealed that hackers recently accessed highly sensitive information. This includes student Social Security numbers, grades, and even medical data. Let’s dive into what happened and how it affects you.
- What Happened: In December, hackers breached PowerSchool’s customer support portal using stolen credentials.
- What Was Accessed: Besides contact details like names and addresses, sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and grades were also compromised.
- Who Is Affected: Users of PowerSchool’s school information system, which includes schools managing student records and more.
- Extent of the Breach: It potentially affected data from over 16,000 schools supporting 50 million students across North America.
“PowerSchool believes the data has been deleted without any further replication or dissemination.” – Beth Keebler, PowerSchool spokesperson
{source: TechCrunch}
The breach was not linked to ransomware but was instead an extortion attempt. PowerSchool worked with CyberSteward to negotiate with the hackers, resulting in a payment to prevent data publication. However, the exact number of affected individuals remains undisclosed.
Given the scale and sensitivity of the compromised data, PowerSchool assures customers that steps have been taken to prevent further misuse and does not expect the data to be publicly shared.
If you are concerned about how this might impact you or your family, staying informed and monitoring any unusual activity related to your personal information is advisable.
If you have additional insights or information regarding this breach, TechCrunch invites you to reach out securely via Signal or email.
