School districts hit with extortion attempts months after education tech data breach

Months after a major data breach at education tech company PowerSchool, school districts in Canada and North Carolina are being targeted by extortion attempts using previously stolen student data. The breach, which occurred in December 2024, compromised millions of children’s personal details, including Social Security numbers, health, and disciplinary records. Although PowerSchool paid the hackers in exchange for a video claiming the data was deleted, the stolen information is now being used in new threats. PowerSchool confirmed this is not a new breach and is working with law enforcement and affected districts, expressing regret over the continued victimization. The company had reportedly failed basic cybersecurity protections, contributing to one of the largest breaches of American student data to date.