Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Data Breach topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Richland 1 confirms PowerSchool data breach; vendor to provide monitoring, final report due Jan. 17
Summary
District staff told the board that PowerSchool reported an unauthorized access to student information linked to a contractor; PowerSchool and the state are reviewing logs and the vendor has offered credit monitoring and other protections for affected individuals.
District staff told the Richland 1 board Tuesday that PowerSchool — the vendor that provides the district’s student information system — notified the state and participating districts of unauthorized access to data caused by a contractor hired by PowerSchool.
"On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, Richland 1, along with the South Carolina Department of Education, received notification from PowerSchool of a security breach involving its PowerSource portal," said the district presenter, Mr. Coppock. State officials were notified and the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has been informed, the district said.
PowerSchool is conducting a third‑party forensic analysis; the district said the final report was expected by Jan. 17. PowerSchool has committed to partner with affected districts to notify impacted individuals and — the district said — the South Carolina Department of Education is advocating that PowerSchool provide credit monitoring for affected adults and identity protection services for minors if Social Security numbers were exposed.
In response to the breach, PowerSchool strengthened password requirements for staff and systems, the district said. "PowerSchool has committed to providing these services," the presenter said, and the district is reviewing its own processes to reduce risk.
District officials did not provide numbers of affected individuals during Tuesday’s meeting and said they were reviewing logs to determine who and what data were impacted. The district said it will follow state guidance and notify impacted families once the vendor’s analysis is complete.
