Dear Pointer families and staff,
As we previously communicated, PowerSchool – a cloud-based software vendor used by West Point Public Schools, recently experienced a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain information in the PowerSchool Student Information System (SIS). Originally, it was reported to us from PowerSchool that West Point had not been impacted. However, more recent communications indicate that West Point Public Schools was impacted.
We are now reaching out to share information from PowerSchool and to outline their next steps:
• Additional Identity Protection and Credit Monitoring Services: PowerSchool has engaged Experian, a trusted credit reporting agency, to offer two years of complimentary identity protection services for all students and educators whose information from our PowerSchool SIS was involved in the breach. This offer will also include two years of complimentary credit monitoring services for all adult students and educators whose information was involved.
• Notification to Individuals Involved: Starting in the next few weeks, in collaboration with Experian, PowerSchool will provide notice to students (or their parents/guardians if the student is under 18) and educators whose information was involved. PowerSchool will also provide a helpline to answer any questions you may have about the incident. The notice will include the offer for identity protection and credit monitoring services (as applicable).
• As soon as PowerSchool learned of the incident, they engaged cybersecurity response protocols and mobilized senior leadership and third-party cybersecurity experts to conduct a forensic investigation of the scope of the incident and to monitor for signs of information misuse. PowerSchool is not aware of any identity theft attributable to this incident.
In the meantime, I encourage you to visit https://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/ for up-to-date information on the cybersecurity incident. We care deeply about the welfare of our West Point families and will continue to do everything we can to support you. Thank you for the important role you play in our community and your shared commitment to putting our students first.
Sincerely,
Dr. Larry L. Frazier, Jr.
Superintendent