PowerSchool, a prominent education technology provider serving over 60 million students and teachers worldwide, recently disclosed a significant data breach that exposed sensitive information, FOX News reports.
The breach underscores the growing trend of cybercriminals targeting industries with valuable personal data, including healthcare, insurance, automotive, and education. This attack places PowerSchool among recent high-profile incidents like the Ascension and CVR breaches in healthcare.
PowerSchool serves 18,000 customers, primarily schools in the United States and Canada, managing critical student and teacher information such as grades, attendance, and personal records. While the exact number of affected individuals has not been confirmed, the breach’s scale is concerning given the platform’s extensive reach.
The breach was uncovered on December 28, 2024, and communicated to customers on January 7, 2025. According to PowerSchool, the intrusion occurred through its PowerSource support portal, where hackers exploited stolen credentials to access and export data using an “export data manager” tool. The attack was not a result of ransomware or software vulnerabilities but rather a direct network compromise.
The stolen data includes customer contact information, such as names and addresses, and potentially more sensitive information for certain districts, such as Social Security numbers, medical records, grades, and other personally identifiable information. Notably, customer support tickets, credentials, and forum data were not accessed.
PowerSchool assured customers that the stolen data has likely been deleted without replication or public dissemination. In response, the company deactivated the compromised credentials, implemented stricter access controls, and performed a full password reset for PowerSource accounts. A third-party cybersecurity firm is conducting a thorough investigation.
PowerSchool is offering affected adults free credit monitoring and minors identity protection services to mitigate the risks of identity theft and fraud. The company emphasized that not all customers were affected and stated that only a subset of schools need to notify impacted individuals.
This breach highlights the critical need for proactive cybersecurity measures across all industries. For individuals potentially affected by the PowerSchool breach, experts recommend the following steps:
- Monitor Accounts Regularly: Check bank and credit card statements for unauthorized transactions and review online accounts for suspicious activity.
- Freeze Credit Reports: Consider placing a credit freeze with major credit bureaus to prevent identity theft if sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, has been compromised.
- Use Identity Protection Services: Take advantage of the free services offered by PowerSchool to detect and respond to fraudulent activity.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Add an extra layer of security to online accounts to prevent unauthorized access.
- Stay Vigilant Against Phishing: Avoid clicking on unsolicited links or attachments, especially those claiming to be from PowerSchool or educational institutions. Install reliable antivirus software to detect phishing attempts and other cyber threats.
