Notice of PowerSchool Event impacting North Country Supervisory Union (NCSU)

We are providing an update to the community regarding the recent incident at PowerSchool. As many of you are already aware, PowerSchool, a software vendor used by NCSU, recently experienced a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain information in the PowerSchool Information System.

NCSU has been working diligently to respond to this incident. Since this did not occur on our network, this process has involved working to gather information from PowerSchool to better determine what happened and how it impacts our community, including what personal information was involved. To date, we understand that information including names and Social Security numbers may have been impacted for some individuals in our PowerSchool SIS.

Based on the information provided to date, we understand that PowerSchool became aware of a cybersecurity incident on December 28, 2024. They determined that, as part of the cybersecurity incident, certain information from their PowerSchool Student Information System (SIS) environment was copied from the system without authorization. Based on our review, the data present in the relevant system varies by individual and may not contain personally identifiable information. However, we understand that PowerSchool will be sending a communication to all email addresses contained in their system, regardless of whether that individual’s personally identifiable information was involved. From our communications with PowerSchool, we understand that they have begun to provide these email notifications to individuals via email. Additionally, we understand PowerSchool will be posting notice of this incident to its website with more information.

The accuracy of the information being shared and the responsibility of NCSU to its students, teachers, and community, are among our top priorities. As such, we will continue to learn more about this incident and what PowerSchool is doing in response, and as part of our ongoing commitment to the privacy of information in our care, we are reviewing our policies and procedures to further protect against similar events occurring in the future. We are also providing information below on steps individuals can take to help protect personal information.

 If you have additional questions or need assistance, PowerSchool has set up a toll-free call center, available at (833) 918-9464, from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., Central Time, Monday through Friday, excluding major U.S. holidays. Please be prepared to provide the engagement number B138812. PowerSchool has indicated that it will be providing access to credit monitoring and identity protection services for individuals whose information was involved. Individuals can access this information  by going to: PowerSchool SIS Incident Data Breach https://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/notice-of-united-states-data-breach/   

Steps Individuals May Take To Help Protect Personal Information

Enroll in Monitoring Services

PowerSchool is offering two years of complimentary identity protection services to individuals whose information was involved. For adult students and educators, this offer will also include two years of complimentary credit monitoring.

Enrollment Instructions

• Ensure that you enroll by May 30, 2025 (Your code will not work after this date at 5:59 UTC)
• Visit the Experian IdentityWorks website to enroll: https://www.experianidworks.com/plus
• Provide your activation code: CTYU949PRK
• For over the phone assistance with enrollment or questions about the product, please contact Experian’s customer care team at 833-918-9464
• Be prepared to provide engagement number: B138812
• Experian’s call center hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am through 8:00pm Central Time (excluding major US holidays.)

Details Regarding Your Experian Identityworks Credit Plus Membership

A credit card is not required for enrollment in Experian IdentityWorks. You can contact Experian immediately regarding any fraud issues, and have access to the following features once you enroll in Experian IdentityWorks:

• Experian credit report at signup: See what information is associated with your credit file. Daily credit reports are available for online members only.*
• Credit Monitoring: Actively monitors Experian file for indicators of fraud.
• Internet Surveillance: Technology searches the web, chat rooms & bulletin boards 24/7 to identify trading or selling of your personal information on the Dark Web.
• Identity Restoration: Identity Restoration specialists are immediately available to help you address credit and non-credit related fraud.
• Experian IdentityWorks ExtendCARE^TM: You receive the same high-level of Identity Restoration support even after your Experian IdentityWorks membership has expired.
• $1 Million Identity Theft Insurance**: Provides coverage for certain costs and unauthorized electronic fund transfers.

Information to Monitor Accounts for Adults Over 18

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.  To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228.  You may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of your credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost.  An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file.  Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit.  If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years.  Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization.  The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent.  However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit.  Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report.  To request a security freeze, you may need to provide the following information, depending on whether you make the request online, by phone, or by mail:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.);
7. Social Security Card, pay stub, or W2;
8. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft.

Should you wish to place a credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Information to Monitor Accounts for Minors

Typically, credit reporting agencies do not have a credit report in a minor’s name. To find out if a minor has a credit report or to request a manual search for a minor’s Social Security number each credit bureau has its own process. To learn more about these processes or request these services, consumers may contact the credit bureaus by phone, writing, or online:

To request information about the existence of a credit file in a minor’s name, search for a minor’s Social Security number, place a security freeze or fraud alert on a minor’s credit report (if one exists), or request a copy of a minor’s credit report consumers may be required to provide the following information:

• A copy of their driver's license or another government issued identification card, such as a state identification card, etc.;
• Proof of address, such as a copy of a bank statement, utility bill, insurance statement, etc.;
• A copy of the minor's birth certificate;
• A copy of the minor's Social Security card;
• The minor's full name, including middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR, II, III, etc.;
• The minor's date of birth; and
• The minor’s previous addresses for the past two years.

Additional Information

You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261.  The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement, your state Attorney General, and the Federal Trade Commission.