Hackers Target U.S. School Districts in Extortion Attempts Using Stolen PowerSchool Data
Hackers have launched extortion attempts against multiple U.S. school districts, using sensitive student data stolen from education software provider PowerSchool, the company confirmed on Wednesday. The breach, first disclosed in December 2024, involved personal information including names, contact details, birthdates, medical alerts, and Social Security numbers.
PowerSchool, which serves over 60 million students globally, revealed it had made the “difficult decision” to pay a ransom to the attackers—acknowledging for the first time that a ransom payment was made, though the amount was not disclosed.
“We believed it to be in the best interest of our customers and the students and communities we serve,” the company said, citing assurances and evidence that the hackers would delete the stolen data.
While it’s unclear if the same attackers are behind the ongoing extortion, Reuters reported that at least four school districts have been contacted. The locations of these districts have not been disclosed.
Background:
-
Breach disclosed: December 2024
-
Data affected: Names, contact info, birthdates, SSNs, limited medical data
-
Ownership: Taken private by Bain Capital in a $5.6B deal in June 2024
The company has not commented further on whether law enforcement is involved or if additional districts have been contacted.
This development highlights growing concerns over cybersecurity vulnerabilities in U.S. public education systems, where student data is increasingly at risk from ransomware and extortion schemes.