Students' and teachers' information accessed in data breach of PowerSchool system at WCPSS

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Friday, January 17, 2025
Students and teachers' information at WCPSS accessed in data breach
The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) has confirmed a data breach involving a system that contains teachers' and students' information.

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) has confirmed a data breach involving a system that contains teachers' and students' information.

The district sent the following information Thursday informing teachers and parents of the breach.

"We are writing to inform you of a security breach involving the PowerSchool Student Information System (SIS), which is used by the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) as part of a statewide requirement by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). We are passing on this information on behalf of PowerSchool/NCDPI to ensure you are kept informed. Regulatory notice will be provided by PowerSchool."

PowerSchool said the breach was not caused by any actions taken by anyone at WCPSS, and there was nothing the school district could have done to prevent the incident. The breach has affected schools nationwide, the company says.

Timeline of the incident

WCPSS said the incident happened on Jan 7. That's when PowerSchool alerted the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and WCPSS about a cybersecurity incident affecting student and teacher data.

According to WCPSS, the credentials of a PowerSchool contract employee were compromised, which led to the data breach. PowerSchool became aware of this on Dec. 28 and confirmed that unauthorized access started on Dec. 19.

PowerSchool has shared that the data accessed was destroyed and it does not believe any additional copies remain.

Information exposed during the breach

WCPSS said personal data for current and former students and staffers was accessed. PowerSchool and NCDPI have confirmed that no district student Social Security Numbers (SSNs) were accessed in this breach.

Staff information accessed

  • Full names (first, middle, last)

  • Street addresses

  • Some Social Security Numbers

  • Home phone numbers

  • Email addresses used for work-related communication

Current and former students' information accessed

  • Names (first, middle, last) of students, parents, and guardians

  • Physical and mailing addresses

  • Date of birth

  • Gender and ethnicity

  • Student identification numbers

  • Guardian or parent email addresses and phone numbers

  • Emergency contact details (names and phone numbers)

School district leaders said they will release further information on what data was accessed as PowerSchool provides updates to them.

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