PowerSchool hack: School boards face new ransom demands months after leak
Some Canadian school boards say they've been the target of ransom attempts in relation to the massive data breach of PowerSchool, which saw millions of current and former students across the country impacted.
In letters to families on Wednesday, the Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board and Calgary Board of Education said they had been contacted by a 'threat actor demanding a ransom.'
Each school board says PowerSchool is not reporting that new information has been accessed, and it's believed the data being used for ransom is what was obtained in December 2024.
PowerSchool, the U.S.-based company that provides the student information system that was breached, said on Wednesday that it was aware that school boards and districts across North America had been contacted.
'We do not believe this is a new incident, as samples of data match the data previously stolen in December,' the company wrote. 'We sincerely regret these developments – it pains us that our customers are being threatened and re-victimized by bad actors.'
Story continues below advertisement
It said it had reported the matter to law enforcement in both Canada and the U.S. and was working with customers to support them.
2:08
Calgary law firm files lawsuit over massive PowerSchool data breach
The company said following the December breach that it had paid a ransom, as it believed it would be 'in the best interest of our customers.'
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
The Peel, Toronto and Calgary school boards said in their letters that the company had previously told them the data that had been accessed had been deleted with no copies posted online, but that was not the case.
'As with any such incident, there was a risk that the threat actors would not honour their commitment to delete the stolen data, despite assurances from PowerSchool,' the Calgary Board of Education wrote in its letter, which added it had not paid or contributed to any ransom payment.
Story continues below advertisement
The original breach happened in December, with boards across multiple provinces contacted.
Global News contacted every school board across the country earlier this year to determine how many were impacted. Of those that responded, at least 87 were affected.
Data from those that provided numbers showed that more than 2.77 million current and former students were confirmed to have been affected. In addition, 35,951 staff members, including teachers, were confirmed impacted, with one Nova Scotia school board advising that 3,500 parents' data was also accessed.
Data including people's names, contact information, date of birth, limited medical alert information and, in some cases, social insurance numbers was accessed, according to both PowerSchool and several school boards. No SINs were accessed, however, at the Toronto, Peel and Calgary school boards that alerted parents this week.
According to various officials and public statements from school boards, data breaches have been seen in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Quebec, New Brunswick, Nunavut, British Columbia and Yukon officials said their boards were not impacted.
Canada and Ontario's privacy commissioners said earlier this year that they were investigating the breach.
In a statement to Global News, a spokesperson for Canada's privacy commissioner said the company had made it aware of the incident and remains 'actively engaged' to ensure PowerSchool is taking steps to respond to the breach.
Story continues below advertisement
The commissioner's office said it could not provide further details as its investigation is ongoing.
A class-action lawsuit was also launched earlier this year by Calgary law firm Cuming and Gillespie, though lawyer Craig Gillespie told Global News there was 'no urgent call to action' for people to get involved at this time, as it still needs to be certified. Notices will go out for people to join once that occurs.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Calgary Herald
an hour ago
- Calgary Herald
A bounty of new Canadian bevvies make summer splash
Article content (editors: please note C-olsch in Xhale blurb is spelled correctly) Article content Canada Day is in less than a month, and perhaps now more than ever, Canadians are looking to support and buy from Canadian-owned businesses. I know I am, whether I'm looking for coffee or coolers, wine or whisky. Article content Article content Here are eight to consider from Calgary-based businesses and beyond. Article content Article content A small, family-run business, Gradient Beverages started in 2020 and does its mixing and canning in southeast Calgary. They have a few different products, but the award-winning Inversion Nitro Elderflower Gin Sour is particularly unique. Give the can a hard shake and then open, turn it upside down and pour. The nitrogen in the can creates the silky foam you'd expect from a fancy bar drink, while butterfly pea flower gives it a lavender-purple colour. Article content Article content The name Inversion Nitro Cocktails refers to the upside-down pour, notes co-founder John Eresman. 'Inversion also speaks to what we're really trying to do, flip people's expectations of what a canned cocktail can be.' Article content Watch for new flavours this month, including a Passionfruit Mai Tai. Article content Suggested price: $19.50 for a four-pack at Co-op Wine Spirits Beer, 5 Vines Wine, Craft Beer & Spirits, Wine & Beyond, select Sobeys Liquor and Safeway Liquor. Article content Article content Article content Phil & Sebastian, Iced Lavender Latte and Strawberry Matcha, m Article content Perhaps your palate needs a non-alcoholic flavour kick this summer. That's why Phil & Sebastian have launched two new cold drinks. The Iced Lavender Latte is made with espresso, milk and a house-made lavender syrup with blueberries, while the Strawberry Matcha features strawberry puree, syrup, milk and matcha over ice. Article content Price: $7 to $8 at all Phil & Sebastian locations except the new airport cafe. Article content Article content The Eau Claire Distillery team has relaunched its Rupert's Exceptional Canadian Whisky, with an updated bottle and label that brings it in line with the rest of the brand. Expect smooth butterscotch and baking spice flavours from this deep amber spirit, which is made from 100 per cent Alberta-grown barley and glacier-fed spring water from Mount Rae, a mountain just off Highway 40 in Kananaskis Provincial Park.
Canada Standard
an hour ago
- Canada Standard
Would be my pleasure to welcome PM Modi for G7: Former Canada MP Chandra Arya calls India
Ottawa [Canada], June 7 (ANI): Former Member of Parliament of Canada, Chandra Arya, has said it would be his pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Canada for the G7 meeting from June 15 to 17, noting that India is an 'indispensable partner' and underlining the need for a deeper, structured bilateral relationship based on shared values like 'democracy', 'pluralism', and a 'rules-based international order'. In a post on X, Arya said, 'It would be my pleasure to welcome PM Narendra Modi to Canada for the G7 meeting during June 15-17. When I met PM Narendra Modi last July, I emphasised that Canada and India are united by shared values, democracy, pluralism, and a rules-based international order. India, an increasingly influential global actor with growing strategic, economic, and demographic weight, is an indispensable partner for Canada, both in the Indo-Pacific region and globally. It is in Canada's national economic, strategic, and geopolitical interest to forge a deeper, more structured relationship with India, one that spans trade, investment, policy, and civil society.' Earlier in the day, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that G7 countries will hold discussions on important issues, including security and energy, in their upcoming summit, adding that India's presence at the intergovernmental political and economic forum is essential. The effort seems a bid to thaw the frozen ties between the nations. Carney said that India, being the fifth largest economy and the most populous country in the world, must be at the seat. 'Let's put the two aspects in context- first is, we are in the role- Canada's in the role of the G7 chair and in those discussions as agreed with our G7 colleagues, include important discussions on energy, security, on digital future, critical minerals amongst others and partnerships actually in building infrastructure in the emerging and developing world,' he said. Carney said that India is central to a number of supply chains, which makes its presence pertinent at the G7 chair consultation. 'There are certain countries that should be at the table for those discussions, and in my capacity as G7 chair, I will consult with some others to make those determinations. India is the fifth largest economy in the world, effectively the most populous country in the world, central to a number of those supply chains at the heart of a number of those supply chains, so it makes sense,' he said. The announcement comes after a period of severely strained relations between the two countries, triggered by Canadian allegations that Indian agents were involved in the June 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar--a Canadian citizen and prominent pro-Khalistan activist--outside a Sikh temple in Vancouver, as per DW News. India strongly denied the claims, and both nations expelled senior diplomats in a tit-for-tat escalation, DW News reported. (ANI)
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
U.S. ambassador says Canadians facing device searches, detainment ‘not a pattern'
OTTAWA – The American ambassador to Canada is pushing back on Ottawa's travel advice, saying his country doesn't search phones at the border and arguing some Americans travelling here are having a tough time. 'We welcome Canadians to come in and invest, to spend their hard-earned Canadian dollars at U.S. businesses,' U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra told The Canadian Press in an interview Friday. 'If a Canadian has had a disappointing experience coming into the United States, I'm not denying that it happened, but I'm saying it's an isolated event and it is not a pattern.' In April, Ottawa updated its advice to Canadians travelling to the United States to warn them about the possibility they might be detained if denied entry. 'Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices,' reads the new guidance. There have been reports of Canadians facing intensified scrutiny at the border, having phones searched and, in some cases, being detained. Hoekstra insisted concerns about device searches are not grounded in reality. 'Coming to the U.S., that's a decision for the Canadians to make. Searching devices and all of that is not a well-founded fear. We don't do that. America is a welcoming place,' he said. He said some Americans have expressed similar concerns about Canada. 'I've heard that from Americans coming into Canada as well, OK? Saying, 'You know, we've not received a warm reception when we've gotten to Canadian customs,'' he said. When asked if these reports from American travellers involve arbitrary phone searches and lengthy detainment, Hoekstra said there are consular cases of Americans complaining to the embassy about the Canada Border Services Agency. 'We've said, 'OK this may have been an isolated event. There may have been a Canadian border person who was having a bad day, and thought they'd take it out on, you know, somebody across the border,'' he said. In a statement, the CBSA said its officers follow a code of conduct and the federal ethics code that both require them to treat everyone equally, and the agency investigates any complaints of mistreatment. 'Employees are expected to conduct themselves in a way that upholds the values of integrity, respect and professionalism at all times,' wrote spokeswoman Karine Martel. 'Treating people with respect, dignity and fairness is fundamental to our border services officers' relationship with the public and a key part of this is serving all travellers in a non-discriminatory way.' Hoekstra said travel to the U.S. is up to individuals. 'If you decide that you're not going to come down or whatever, that's your decision and you're missing an opportunity. There are great things to see in America,' Hoekstra said. He also noted the case of CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour, who recently said she prepared to visit the U.S. last month as if she was 'going to North Korea' — with a 'burner phone' that didn't carry any personal information — only to experience a warm welcome. 'It's like, (let's) get past the rhetoric and let's look at the real experiences that people are having here,' Hoekstra said. Airlines have been cutting flights between Canada and the U.S. due to a slump in demand, and Flight Centre Travel Group Canada reported a nearly 40 per cent drop in flights between the two countries year-over-year in February. A survey in early May conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies found 52 per cent of respondents feel that 'it is no longer safe for all Canadians travelling to the United States,' with 29 per cent disagreeing and 19 per cent saying they were unsure. Roughly the same proportion said they personally feel unwelcome in the U.S. LGBTQ+ groups have opted against attending World Pride events in Washington and United Nations events in New York, citing scrutiny at the border as the Trump administration scales back protections for transgender and nonbinary people. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2025.
