How victims of PowerSchool’s data breach helped each other investigate ‘massive’ hack
PowerSchool's data breach prompts user-driven investigation and collaboration.

PowerSchool experienced a significant data breach affecting student and teacher information from numerous schools. Romy Backus, working at the American School of Dubai, initiated an investigation upon receiving insufficient details from PowerSchool. She discovered other administrators sought similar answers, prompting her to create a detailed guide shared with the global PowerSchool community.
Meanwhile, communications from PowerSchool were deemed quick but lacking clarity, causing confusion among affected schools. Adam Larsen, from an Illinois school district, highlighted the ensuing chaos and reliance on community networks. Larsen and Backus shared resources like tools and guides, which circulated widely, with Larsen's contributions becoming a part of a shared effort to manage the situation collaboratively.
Doug Levin from K12 SIX noted this cooperative response as typical in the educational sector, particularly due to resource constraints in schools. The PowerSchool community's self-driven data breach response illustrated its necessity and resilience. PowerSchool commended the communal initiative while promising continued support, showcasing a grassroots approach to handling cybersecurity challenges.