The PowerSchool Breach: A Wake-Up Call for EdTech Accountability

As an Operations Director, I’ve seen firsthand how critical data security is to protecting students, staff, and institutional trust. The recent PowerSchool breach—one of the largest in K-12 history—should alarm every leader in our industry. But what’s even more concerning than the breach itself is what PowerSchool still isn’t telling us.

Let’s start with the facts we do know:

• 60 million students rely on PowerSchool’s systems.
• Hackers exploited a single customer portal lacking multi-factor authentication (MFA), gaining access to decades of sensitive data.
• Stolen information includes Social Security numbers, medical alerts, grades, and even details about restraining orders and medication schedules.
• PowerSchool negotiated with attackers (read: paid a ransom) but refuses to disclose the amount or provide evidence that data was truly destroyed.

Yet, here’s what’s being left in the shadows:

Transparency Isn’t Optional—It’s a Moral Obligation

PowerSchool’s silence on the breach’s scope is deafening. Schools and families deserve to know exactly what was compromised, but vague statements like “certain information” and “limited medical data” only breed mistrust. When a third of a million teachers’ Social Security numbers are exposed, “limited” becomes a dangerous euphemism.

Legacy Systems Are a Ticking Time Bomb

Many districts still rely on outdated infrastructure. PowerSchool’s breach originated in a portal without MFA—a basic safeguard in 2025. Yet, vendors continue to prioritize convenience over security, leaving schools to inherit their risks. When we outsource student data, we outsource accountability. Are we truly vetting our partners’ security postures—or just their sales pitches?

Ransom Payments Fuel the Fire

Paying ransoms doesn’t guarantee data safety—it funds future attacks. The LockBit takedown proved hackers often keep copies of stolen data, even after “deletion.” PowerSchool’s decision to negotiate sets a dangerous precedent: student data is now a lucrative commodity for cybercriminals.

The Human Cost of Complacency

This isn’t just about bytes and firewalls. This is about a child’s medical privacy, a teacher’s identity, or a family’s safety. When sensitive data leaks, the fallout can last lifetimes. Yet, many EdTech vendors treat breaches as PR crises rather than systemic failures.

So, What Can We Do?

As leaders, we must demand better. Here’s where to start:

• Audit Your Vendors: Require proof of MFA, encryption, and regular penetration testing. If they can’t answer, walk away.
• Phase Out Legacy Systems: Sunset outdated tools that can’t meet modern security standards.
• Advocate for Regulation: Push for federal mandates on breach disclosures and vendor accountability.
• Educate & Empower: Train staff on cybersecurity hygiene—95% of breaches start with human error.

A Call to Action for Every Leader

The PowerSchool breach isn’t an outlier—it’s a symptom of an industry-wide failure to prioritize student safety over profit and convenience. Let’s stop accepting “we’re investigating” as an answer. Let’s stop tolerating vendors who treat student data as an afterthought.

Your move: Share your insights. How is your organization safeguarding student data? What policies or partnerships have made a difference? Let’s turn this moment into a movement.

The next generation’s privacy depends on what we do today.

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