Schools Scramble for Info After PowerSchool Hack

South Carolina, Charleston, USAWed Jan 15 2025
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Lowcountry schools are back to business as usual, but they're on high alert after a data breach at PowerSchool. The South Carolina Department of Education is helping out by looking into what went wrong. Something called personally identifiable information was compromised, and this isn't just a local issue — almost every school district in the state is affected. Scott Cooke, who works for the State Consumer Affairs, says this kind of thing happens all the time because our data is everywhere. In response to the breach, schools are keeping parents in the loop. They're waiting for the Department of Education to find out what exactly was leaked. Cooke suggests parents check with credit bureaus to see if any accounts have been opened in their kids' names. That could be a sign of identity theft. Lowcountry districts like Charleston County, Berkeley County, and Dorchester District 4 are all working together with the state to figure out what's going on. They're committed to keeping everyone safe and informed. PowerSchool has said the breach is contained and they're working with law enforcement to fix the issue.