Cybersecurity provider offering access to free services after breach affecting HSD

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After a January “cybersecurity incident” involving unauthorized access to information, the Horizon School Division notified families that PowerSchool – a cloud-based software vendor used by HSD – had been compromised but then reacted quickly to the problem.

 By Feb. 10, the Division told families that PowerSchool had “initiated the process of notifying involved individuals of the incident about the resources now available to them. Credit monitoring and identity protection services are now activated and available.”

 The school division said that in response to the violation, PowerSchool had engaged TransUnion and Experian, two “trusted credit reporting agencies,” to offer two years of complimentary identity protection services for all students and educators whose information from its PowerSchool system was involved. The offer will include two years of complimentary credit monitoring services for all students and educators whose information was involved and who have reached the age of majority (18 years).

 “The offered credit monitoring services, which will be available for those who have reached the age of majority, will be provided by TransUnion; the offered identity protection services, which will be available for all involved students and educators, will be provided by Experian. Credit monitoring is being provided by TransUnion because Experian does not offer credit monitoring in Canada,” the school division reported.

 Additionally, Powerschool was to begin issuing notices to the students, parents / guardians, and educators whose information was involved. as well as a phone number to answer any questions about the incident.

 The school division reported that as soon as PowerSchool learned of the incident, it activated “cybersecurity response protocols and mobilized third-party cybersecurity experts to conduct a forensic investigation and to monitor for signs of information misuse.” The report noted that PowerSchool was not aware of any identity theft attributable to the incident.

 The school division has encouraged families to visit http://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/ for up-to-date information on the cybersecurity incident.