The Nova Scotia Department of Education has enlisted IBM to aid in investigating a cybersecurity breach involving PowerSchool, a widely used student information system. The breach, initially reported Wednesday, has also impacted school systems in Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, according to Nova Scotia officials.
In a statement issued Saturday, the department confirmed that social insurance numbers collected prior to 2010 were included in data compromised during the breach. PowerSchool, a cloud-based platform, is used to manage enrolment, attendance, grades, and other student data.
Around 250 current and former employees of the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education have been advised to monitor their bank accounts for unusual activity, according to a report by The Canadian Press. The provincial government is contacting those affected and providing information on accessing credit protection services.
In Ontario, several school boards, including those in Toronto, Peel, and Durham, issued notices about a “cyber incident” involving PowerSchool. Reports indicate that the breach, which occurred between December 22 and December 28, affected additional school boards in Ontario, as well as in Alberta, Manitoba, and several U.S. states.
The California-based vendor stated that the breach had been contained and reiterated its commitment to data security. PowerSchool’s software supports 18,000 customers in over 80 countries, tracking approximately 60 million K-12 students globally.
“We take our responsibility to protect student data privacy and act responsibly as data processors extremely seriously,” PowerSchool said in its statement.
While the system does not typically store medical information or financial data such as credit card numbers, it does include sensitive details like birth dates, addresses, health card numbers, allergy alerts, emergency contact information, and information on any student adaptations, according to Nova Scotia officials.
The investigation into the breach and its potential impact is ongoing.