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17h ago

Hackers Extort School Districts Using Data from PowerSchool Breach

Threat actors are leveraging stolen student and teacher records to demand ransoms, despite PowerSchool's earlier payment to prevent data misuse.

A man uses a computer keyboard in Toronto in this Sunday, Oct. 9 photo illustration. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy
A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. Capitalizing on spying tools believed to have been developed by the U.S. National Security Agency, hackers staged a cyber assault with a self-spreading malware that has infected tens of thousands of computers in nearly 100 countries. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration
The PowerSchool breach stole data from school boards across North America last December. Now, some boards are being targeted with ransom demands linked to that stolen information.
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Overview

  • Hackers are targeting multiple school districts in the U.S. and Canada, demanding ransoms to avoid public release of sensitive data stolen in the December 2024 PowerSchool breach.
  • PowerSchool confirmed it paid a ransom last year, hoping to secure deletion of the stolen data; however, extortion attempts reveal it was not destroyed.
  • The Toronto District School Board and others have received ransom demands, with stolen data potentially including personal, medical, and educational records.
  • Law enforcement in both the U.S. and Canada has been notified, and PowerSchool is working with affected districts to address the situation.
  • The incident highlights the risks of ransom payments and the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity measures in the education technology sector.