Security Breach
Important Message for Cambrian Families, 1/10/25
Dear Parent/Guardian,
We are writing to inform you of a recent security incident that may have affected the privacy of student information within our school district.
Cambrian School District uses a platform called PowerSchool as its Student Information System (SIS) to manage and house student data. On December 28, 2024, PowerSchool identified a potential cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain information through one of its customer support portals, PowerSource. Following a thorough investigation, PowerSchool determined that an unauthorized party gained access to some SIS customer data using a compromised credential.
We regret to inform you that this data breach involved information from our district, along with many other districts across the United States.
PowerSchool notified us of this incident on January 7, 2025. Since then, we have been working closely with their cybersecurity experts to assess the situation and take necessary steps to protect your child's information. While we currently have no evidence that sensitive personal data has been misused, we are proactively implementing measures to ensure the continued security of student data.
Actions Taken
As soon as PowerSchool became aware of the incident, they activated their cybersecurity response protocols and mobilized a cross-functional response team, including senior leadership, third-party cybersecurity experts, and law enforcement. PowerSchool has assured us that the incident has been contained and that no malware or ongoing unauthorized activity has been detected within their systems.
The data involved in this breach includes the following information:
Student Cambrian gmail address and password
Student PowerSchool credentials (same as email and email password)
Student date of birth
Parent contact information and address
Student-specific notes, including guardian access details, medical alerts, and past suspensions
Doctor information
Emergency contact information
Eligibility for free or reduced-price school lunch
Student enrollment details, such as school name, grade level, and date of enrollment
Student state and district ID numbers (we do not collect student Social Security Numbers so this data is not at risk)
Ethnicity information
Our Next Steps
As a precautionary measure, we will reset all student Cambrian gmail account passwords (TK-8) on Monday, January 13 at 9 p.m. Once this reset is complete, parents will receive a text message and an email with the new account information. Please encourage your child to complete any homework requiring access to their Google account by 9 p.m. For younger students (grades TK-2) who may not regularly access their school email accounts, teachers will have access to the updated passwords to support them.
We understand how unsettling this news may be, and we want to assure you that we are working diligently to completely investigate and address the issue. Protecting the safety and privacy of our students and families is our top priority, and we remain committed to keeping you informed of any new developments.
What You Can Do
While we continue to work with PowerSchool to implement additional safeguards, we recommend that parents and guardians:
Monitor your child’s Cambrian gmail accounts for any unusual or suspicious activity.
Stay alert to potential phishing scams or fraudulent communications requesting sensitive information.
Contact Matt Hill (hillm@cambriansd.com) if you have concerns or believe your child’s data has been compromised.
Looking Ahead
We will share updates in the coming weeks, including any further steps to enhance data security and prevent similar incidents in the future.
We deeply regret any concern this situation may cause and assure you that we are fully committed to safeguarding student data. Your trust is of the utmost importance to us, and we will continue to take every precaution to protect it.
If you have additional questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly at 408-377-2103.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we navigate this issue.
Sincerely,
Kristi Schwiebert
Superintendent
Cambrian School District