PowerSchool revealed on Jan. 7, 2025 that they had been hacked on Dec. 28, 2024. The hackers gained sensitive data including medical records, Social Security Numbers, addresses, and names of students and teachers. This targeted attack aimed to ransom PowerSchool with threats of leaking information.
While the exact number of schools affected is unknown, WA was among the impacted.
It is known that the hackers accessed information on Westford Public Schools’ employees and students. The extent of information breached varies from school to school. Fortunately, Westford Public Schools does not put Social Security numbers in PowerSchool, according to principal Dan Twomey.
PowerSchool announced the data breaches a day after Westford Public Schools was informed by an outside vendor and two weeks after they were aware of the hack. Negotiations with PowerSchool and the infiltrators occurred soon after. PowerSchool did not inform the public the ransom amount to delete the stolen data.
“PowerSchool is confident that none of this information will show up anywhere […] I’m pretty confident that nothing’s gonna happen,” Twomey said.
While some blame PowerSchool for letting the attack happen, PowerSchool claims that they complied with all of the following cybersecurity precautions: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
While PowerSchool has mentioned that they are currently investigating how the hackers managed to get its information, the inspection has led to no reported results after more than two weeks.
There are no ways to guarantee protection. However, there are ways to minimize the chances of stolen data. From both the email recently sent by Superintendent Christopher Chew and what Twomey has said, it is suggested to regularly change your password.
“This [hack] serves as an important reminder to reset your active directory password regularly,” Twomey said in a school-wide email.
Chew further emphasized WA’s core values.
“We prioritize the safety and privacy of our school community,” Chew said.
