Personal data of students and teachers at schools in the Northwest Territories was compromised in a cybersecurity incident that targeted the PowerSchool information storage system, according to the territorial government.
The information stolen includes the names, postal addresses, phone numbers and emails of students and parents, guardians and teachers, as well as students’ medical information.
The government said this unauthorized access occurred at the Beaufort-Delta Divisional School Board, the Dehcho Divisional School Board, the South Slave Divisional School Board, Yellowknife Catholic Schools and the Yellowknife School Authority. District No. 1 of Yellowknife.
By email, the director of the Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest, Yvonne Careen, confirmed that the incident also affected French-speaking establishments.
PowerSchool is a software provider for primary and secondary schools. This cybersecurity incident hit educational establishments in Canada, the United States and elsewhere in the world.
The government says the Government of the Northwest Territories’ Office of the Chief Information Officer was informed of the incident on Wednesday.
-As soon as PowerSchool was informed, it immediately deployed its cybersecurity response protocols. PowerSchool has implemented enhanced security measures and confirms that the leak has been contained, the statement said.
The government says the Office of the Chief Information Officer is investigating in the NWT, and affected staff and students will be informed directly by their school.
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