Update: PowerSchool cyberattack impact on Winfield
Jan 14, 2025
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) -- Kansas schools that use PowerSchool are still looking into how a cybersecurity incident may have impacted their students and employees.
Last week, Kansas school districts were notified that PowerSchool was the victim of a nationwide data breach from approximately Dec. 19 to Dec. 23. The company said the breach involved student data.
Some Kansas school districts that use PowerSchool are Andover, Buhler, Haysville, Rose Hill and Winfield.
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Tuesday morning, Winfield USD 465 posted an update letter to staff and families.
"Since our last message, we learned that the breach has affected our district's data," Superintendent Tricia Reiser said. "Our dedicated IT department has identified the data that was involved in the breach, and they are working tirelessly with PowerSchool to address the situation and stay up-to-date on all critical updates."
Reiser was thankful that the district had already set up two-step authentication and encrypted all PowerSchool passwords.
"We have locked down all sensitive information to prevent further unauthorized access," she said. "Unfortunately, we live in a time where we all must continually monitor our personal and professional accounts for suspicious activity."
PowerSchool says it became aware of the breach on Dec. 28 and has been working with cybersecurity experts and law enforcement as they investigate.