NHCS asks attorney general to investigate data breach
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover County Board of Education has sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Jackson asking him to investigate the company that was subject to a data breach.
The letter references the recent data breach involving PowerSchool, a student and staff information system used by many school districts across North Carolina. The letter says the breach has compromised the sensitive personal information (including names, addresses, social security numbers, grades and other private information) of our students, staff, and perhaps even families.
The letter asks Attorney General Jackson to “investigate this matter thoroughly and to consider pursuing legal action against PowerSchool,” adding: “Legal action may be the only means to hold PowerSchool accountable for their negligence and to secure appropriate remedies for the hundreds of thousands affected individuals across our great state of North Carolina.”
The Board says PowerSchool should provide “comprehensive identity protection and credit monitoring for all affected individuals immediately and for at least 48 months moving forward.” the Board also wants the the attorney general’s office to “enforce stricter vendor requirements to ensure timely breach notifications and stronger cybersecurity safeguards, mandate improved security measures to prevent future breaches, and ensure that PowerSchool complies with all applicable data privacy laws, including FERPA.”
A copy of the original draft of the letter can be found here. The Board of Education approved the sending of the letter with minor syntax revisions (such as changing “I am writing on behalf of” to “I “We are writing on behalf of”).
