Page 66 - Security Today, March/April 2025

C A M P U S V I E W P O I N T
CYBERSECURITY IS AN OVERLOOKED
THREAT ON K-12 CAMPUSES
IBY B R E N T mproving physical security on K-12 campuses is always at the top of mind for
decision makers like principals, superintendents, and many others with a focus
on surveillance cameras, access control, and emergency drills.
D I R K S But cybersecurity something that needs as much scrutiny as in today’s digital
M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 5
landscape. In late December 2024, hackers breached education technology com-
pany PowerSchool and reportedly stole the personal data of 62.4 million students
and 9.5 million teachers in Canada and the United States. PowerSchool SIS is a cloud-
based or on-premises student information used for record, grades, enrollment, and more.
Some of the personal information stolen in the hack included Social Security num-
bers, personal identifiable information, medical information and grades. The hackers
were able to access the a customer support portal with compromised credential and
then used a export data manager to download the data.
There was no evidence that any banking information or credit card information
was stolen.
While the attack wasn’t ransomware, PowerSchool reportedly confirmed that the
company did pay a ransom to prevent the data from being widely released.
PowerSchool is two years of complimentary credit monitoring services for adults
and identify protection services for minors. The company is also working with CrowdStrike
to investigate the incident.
As education continues to become more digital, school districts need to also focus on cybersecurity. School re-
main a inviting target for hackers. While the institutions store important personal data of both students and teachers,
the focus on a cybersecurity infrastructure isn’t as strong compared to a private corporations.
When working with third-party vendors, districts need to require strict security measures. At the same time, dis-
tricts can better train staff and students on cybersecurity awareness and practices. That’s especially important as many
breaches are done with simple phishing techniques.
Just like with physical security, improved cybersecurity training and awareness can go
a long way. A well-trained school community is the best defense against cyber threats.
Brent Dirks
bdirks@1105media.com
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