An update from education technology firm PowerSchool indicated that it has begun the legally-required notification activities to individuals affected by a data breach in December 2024 that potentially affected millions of students and teachers in North America, TechCrunch reports.
The breach occurred when attackers exploited a stolen account credential to access PowerSchool’s customer support portal and proceeded to steal vast amounts of sensitive data. PowerSchool has filed a data breach notification with Maine’s attorney general, confirming that over 33,000 residents were affected.
However, the company has not disclosed the total number of impacted individuals. Reports from multiple sources suggest that the breach compromised data on more than 62 million students and 9.5 million teachers.
Several school districts have reported significant data exposure. The Toronto District School Board was the hardest hit, with nearly 1.5 million student records accessed, including medical and accommodation information. The Calgary Board of Education confirmed over 500,000 affected students, while the Rochester City School District reported that 134,000 students were impacted.
PowerSchool has not yet revealed details about the attackers, any ransom payments, or evidence of data deletion. Company representatives have said that it is working with school districts and regulatory bodies to determine the full impact of the breach.