PowerSchool Security Incident

District Contact Person 

Mr. Roman Gaddis

Chief Technology & Information Officer

Dawson County School System

E: [email protected]

O: 706-265-3246 ext. 1032

PowerSchool Security Incident

On January 7-8, PowerSchool alerted the Dawson County School System to a cybersecurity incident impacting student and staff data across its global client base. This incident was not isolated to Dawson County, as PowerSchool is a student information system (SIS) that has been in use in Dawson County since 2002. The incident was limited to PowerSchool’s internal systems, and the security of our school system’s network was not disturbed.

According to PowerSchool, the incident happened on or about December 19-24, 2024, after a set of credentials for accessing some of PowerSchool’s systems was compromised. This allowed unauthorized access to data stored in PowerSchool’s global Student Information System. When PowerSchool became aware of the incident on December 28, 2024, they notified law enforcement, secured the system, and enlisted the help of cybersecurity experts from CrowdStrike and CyberSteward to investigate, mitigate, and prevent further threats.  According to PowerSchool, the authorities and cybersecurity experts believe no data taken from PowerSchool’s systems has been made public.

According to PowerSchool, they are continuing to monitor for any postings of data accessed during the incident.

PowerSchool has indicated that it is not experiencing any operational disruptions and continues to provide services.

According to PowerSchool, their investigation into the scope of the incident remains ongoing. If it is determined that this incident impacts any sensitive personal information of members of our community, those individuals will be notified directly, in writing, as required by law. Dawson County Schools will continue working with PowerSchool during their ongoing investigation to ensure all the necessary notifications are conducted.

It is important to stress that Dawson County Schools could not have prevented this cybersecurity incident. The school system does not have administrative access to the maintenance tunnel where the incident occurred.

PowerSchool has committed to providing information as the investigation continues, and we will ensure that relevant updates are shared as necessary. While PowerSchool is taking responsibility for this incident, Dawson County Schools remains committed to safeguarding the data of our students, staff, and families. We will continue to communicate openly and transparently about this situation.
January 11, 2025 Update

Parents, guardians, and staff members were informed via email of the PowerSchool Security Incident.
January 13, 2025 PowerSchool provided a public statement and FAQ. Please click HERE to access.
January 17, 2025
PowerSchool provided additional information on January 17, 2025. Please click HERE to view.
January 27, 2025
PowerSchool provided additional information on January 27, 2025. Please click HERE to view.
January 29, 2025
PowerSchool provided additional information on January 29, 2025 regarding complimentary credit monitoring. Please click HERE to sign up for credit monitoring through Experian IdentityWorks. January 30, 2025
Email sent to staff and parents on January 30, 2025 regarding the PowerSchool CyberSecurity Incident.