In a shocking turn of events, the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) has confirmed that no ransom demands have been made following a major cyber attack last December.

The NNDSB reached out to parents and guardians to reassure them that those behind the cyber incident have yet to contact the board. This breach initially targeted PowerSchool's Student Information System, which is utilized by several school boards, including NNDSB.

PowerSchool Holdings, located in Folsom, California, identified the breach on December 28, 2024, leading to significant concerns about the safety of student data. An official statement released by NNDSB noted that PowerSchool had assured the board that any data accessed by unauthorized users had been deleted.

However, it has now come to light that not all stolen data was destroyed. In a disturbing development, the Toronto District School Board recently disclosed that it received ransom demands related to this very attack.

Though the exact amount demanded remains under wraps, PowerSchool confirmed that it had paid a ransom in a bid to ensure the removal of the compromised data. Following this trend, other school boards, such as the Peel District School Board and the Calgary Board of Education, have also reported similar ransom requests.

NNDSB expressed caution about the situation, emphasizing the risk that the perpetrators may not follow through on promises to delete stolen information, despite assurances provided to PowerSchool.

"As of now, NNDSB has not been contacted by those responsible for this attack," the board stated, underscoring the seriousness of the issue.

Both PowerSchool and NNDSB are collaborating closely with cybersecurity experts and have reported the incident to law enforcement in Canada and the United States. In light of the breach, the NNDSB encourages parents and guardians to take proactive measures, as PowerSchool is currently offering credit monitoring and identity protection services for two years to affected students and faculty.

For more details on the type of information accessed during the breach and precautionary steps, visit NNDSB's official website.