08-05-2025
North Carolina educators targeted again: Data breach repeat raises alarms
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina state education officials say a threat actor claims to have student data months after hacked data management contractor PowerSchool assured officials it was safe.
This alarming situation stems from a significant data breach of the personal information of educators and students in January involving PowerSchool, a software tool responsible for managing educational records. Parents are reacting.
PREVIOUSLY: NC school districts, Department of Public Instruction say they're taking breach 'very seriously'
'This kind of breach is not acceptable,' said Sownya Ram.
'I'm glad they caught it,' said Joe Esmail.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction says the new threat came via email Wednesday morning.
'We received about 50 emails from various employees here at the Department of Public Instruction, and it was confirmed that 20 local education agencies were contacted through various emails,' said Dr Vanessa Wrenn.
Wrenn says they believe the emails came at random to publicly available email accounts. She says the threat actor is asking for bitcoin in exchange for data. State officials are asking educators not to engage.
'We advise anyone who received a message from the threat actor not to engage with that threat actor,' said State Superintendent Mo Green.
ALSO: North Carolina attorney general investigating PowerSchool over data breach
State officials say educators in Oregon and some PowerSchool customers outside the United States also began receiving emails this week. This has left many asking if this is the same threat actor from the incident earlier this year.
'We can't confirm if this is the same actor. In our conversation with PowerSchool, they have indications it's the same threat actor, but can't verify that,' said Wrenn.
State Superintendent Green says the contract with PowerSchool ends June 30, and all schools will start using a new system July 1.
'Infinite Campus was chosen for a number of reasons; they have a more modern and comprehensive solution that will support our students, parents, and educators,' he said.
In the meantime, they're expressing regret to see this happen again.
'I do want to express my regret to our students, parents, teachers, and school district members affected by this incident. We support you and are working to make sure your info isn't further compromised,' said Green.
The incident is under investigation, and state officials are taking proactive measures. They advise if you receive an email, do not engage with it and report it to the NC Department of Public Instruction. They say PowerSchool is offering credit monitoring and ID theft protection through July 31. You can find this information here.
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