PowerSchool Cybersecurity Message 01/13/2025
Please read below for a message regarding a PowerSchool cybersecurity incident:
01/13/2025
Dear Families and Staff,
We want to inform you about a recent cybersecurity incident involving PowerSchool, a third-party software vendor that provides our Student Information System (SIS). This incident has affected numerous school districts across North America, including ours.
On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, PowerSchool notified us of unauthorized access to certain customer data. Unfortunately, some of the compromised data may pertain to Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Public Schools families and educators.
According to PowerSchool, the accessed data primarily includes contact information, such as names and addresses. Additionally, there is a possibility that other personally identifiable information, including Social Security numbers and medical data (e.g., school office visit records), may have been exposed. However, please note that Social Security numbers have not been entered into PowerSchool for students for many years, significantly limiting the scope of this information.
PowerSchool has initiated their cybersecurity protocols and engaged cybersecurity firms Crowdstrike and CyberSteward to investigate the breach. They have identified the source of the issue, stopped further unauthorized access, and reported that the stolen data has been destroyed without replication or dissemination.
Protecting the personal information of our students, staff, and families is our top priority. PowerSchool has assured us that they are taking this matter seriously and may provide affected individuals with resources such as credit monitoring or identity protection services, if applicable. We will share more information as it becomes available.
We appreciate your understanding and patience as PowerSchool continues its investigation.
Sincerely,
Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Public Schools
PowerSchool's General FAQ page regarding cybersecurity incident: https://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/