01.14 Update PowerSchool Breach Community Letter.pdf

01.08 PowerSchool Letter to Community and Staff.pdf

January 8, 2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are writing to inform the Hicksville learning community that yesterday, the district was notified that PowerSchool, the district’s student management system, was a victim of a cybersecurity incident beginning on 12/28/24. The incident involved unauthorized access to information through one of their community-focused customer support portals via a compromised credential. This incident impacts districts that utilize PowerSchool across North America.

What Happened:

PowerSchool experienced unauthorized access to its PowerSource support portal, which exposed user data. Schools around the globe, and thousands of districts across the United States and Canada, are likely affected. PowerSchool is working with law enforcement and cyber security experts to investigate, and will be releasing information throughout the day.

Hicksville Is Prepared:

The Hicksville Technology Department has established plans and procedures to address cyber incidents, including informing the Hicksville community. We are committed to transparency and will continue to share information as it becomes available. We want to assure you that we are prepared.

Our Commitment to Data Security:

Working with experts: We are working closely with Nassau BOCES and PowerSchool to address this situation. We anticipate more information from both organizations and will continue to share that with you.
Protecting your child's information: In partnership with Nassau BOCES, we have a Data Privacy Agreement (DPA) with PowerSchool that mandates the protection of student data.
Staying Informed: We will continue to provide updates as we learn more.

What You Can Do:

Change your password: As a precaution for parents, we will initiate required password resets for the PowerSchool Parent Portal, Student PowerSchool, and Google passwords. You may also initiate a password reset for PowerSchool.
Stay vigilant: Be mindful of any suspicious emails or activity related to your PowerSchool account.

We understand this news may be concerning. Please know that we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of our students' information. We will continue to keep you informed and provide updates as they become available.

Sincerely,

Superintendent of Schools

Hicksville Public Schools

Messages from the Superintendent

Hicksville Public Schools

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