Toronto school board says it got a ransom demand over stolen student data

Canada’s largest school board says it has received a ransom demand over student data that was stolen last December, even though the company behind the affected software paid ransom in hopes of securing that information.

The Toronto District School Board says in a letter to parents and caregivers that it recently learned the data was not destroyed and a “threat actor” has demanded ransom.

PowerSchool, the United States-based software company that provides the student information system to schools across North America, confirms that it paid a ransom after the December 2024 breach, in hopes of preventing public release of the stolen data.

PowerSchool has previously told school boards in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta and elsewhere that it had experienced a data breach between Dec. 22 and 28.

Trending Now

The type of data stolen depends on the school board and in TDSB’s case, that may include students’ birthdays, addresses, health card numbers, emergency contacts and some medical information stored since September 2017.

PowerSchool says it’s aware that some school districts are now receiving ransom demands and has reported the matter to law enforcement agencies in Canada and the United States.