INNISFAIL - The Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) division has been hit by the data breach as a client of PowerSchool, officials said.
The breach prompted the 10,400-student division to sent a letter to all parents on Wednesday, Jan. 8, a copy of which was sent to the Albertan.
“This breach was widespread, impacting PowerSchool clients across Canada, the United States, and other parts of the world. It was not limited to our division,” superintendent Kathleen Finnigan said in the letter.
“The breach involved current and past student and staff information stored within the PowerSchool Student Information System.”
RDCRS has schools in Olds and Innisfail.
The compromised student data includes student names, student mailing addresses, dates of birth, student home phone numbers, and basic student medical information, in some cases, such as details about asthma, diabetes or allergies, she said.
No financial information related to individuals in RDCRS was involved in the breach, she said.
“PowerSchool has provided assurances that all information taken during the breach has been destroyed,” she said. “We recognize the critical importance of protecting personal information, and we want to assure you that this matter is being treated with the utmost seriousness.
“PowerSchool has informed us that they are actively implementing enhanced security measures and are working closely with law enforcement to address this situation.”
The division has been briefed on the breach by PowerSchool and the division's IT department is working with PowerSchool to determine the full extent of the breach in the division, she said.
The division plans to continue to update families when more information is received, she said.
“Please note that no action is required on your part,” she said.
