POWERSCHOOL UPDATE - January 29, 2025
For an update on the PowerSchool Data Breach and moving forward, please click HERE!
POWERSCHOOL UPDATE - January 27, 2025
For an update on the PowerSchool Data Breach and moving forward, please click HERE!
POWERSCHOOL UPDATE - January 17, 2025
For an update on the PowerSchool Data Breach and moving forward, please click HERE!
Message from USD 343
Dear Perry-Lecompton Family,
We are writing to update you about the recent cybersecurity incident involving PowerSchool, the platform used by USD 343 to manage student information. As previously shared, we are committed to keeping you informed as we investigate this matter.
Incident Overview
Last week, PowerSchool notified us of a potential data breach in their nationwide system. As mentioned last week, USD 343 does not currently collect Social Security numbers as part of student or staff PowerSchool records. However, during our deep dive into all data from past years, we discovered that some Social Security numbers of former students and staff members were still stored in the PowerSchool system and was part of this breach. The students affected were from the years 2000 to 2007. The staff affected were from the years 2000 to 2017. All Social Security numbers have been removed from the USD 343 PowerSchool system now. If you were a student or staff member at USD 343 during this time span and would like to confirm whether your SSN was in the system at the time, please contact us at inquiries@usd343.org.
Current Status and Next Steps
PowerSchool has stated this was not a ransomware attack but confirmed they did pay a ransom to prevent the release of data. According to the PowerSchool website, “PowerSchool engaged the services of CyberSteward, a professional advisor with deep experience in negotiating with threat actors. With their guidance, PowerSchool has received reasonable assurances from the threat actor that the data has been deleted and that no additional copies exist.” PowerSchool does acknowledge there is no absolute guarantee that the data has been destroyed, so the company is monitoring the deep web for any potential leaks.
PowerSchool did announce it is offering the following services to affected individuals: Credit monitoring for impacted adults and Identity protection services for impacted minors. Details about who qualifies for these services will be shared once their investigation concludes. Unfortunately, the Perry-Lecompton family has no choice but to wait for more direction from PowerSchool. To keep everyone updated, we have added a new update page to our website. We will add any future updates from PowerSchool, including information on credit monitoring, to this site as it becomes available.
Protecting Your Credit
Whether or not your information was part of this breach, we encourage the entire Perry-Lecompton Family to consider investigating some proactive steps to secure your credit:
Set up free accounts with all three major credit monitoring agencies:
Once these accounts are created, initiate a FREE credit freeze through each platform. A credit freeze significantly reduces the risk of someone opening a credit card account or taking out a loan in your name. Learn more about credit freezes HERE.
For more details about this incident, visit the PowerSchool website, which includes updates and FAQ’s.
We deeply regret any inconvenience or concern this situation may cause. USD 343 remains committed to transparency and safeguarding your trust. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
Dr. Josh Woodward
USD 343 Superintendent of Schools
PowerSchool Cybersecurity Incident
Updates from PowerSchool on their Cybersecurity Incident
This page will be regularly updated with the latest information from PowerSchool regarding their recent cybersecurity incident. The most recent updates will be added to the top of this page. It is our priority to support our families and provide transparent updates as soon as we have more details from PowerSchool to share.
In addition, PowerSchool has a public statement and community-facing FAQs available on our website.
