Notice of PowerSchool Event impacting Haverford Township School District (Havertown, Pa)

We are providing an update to the community regarding the recent incident at PowerSchool. As many of you are already aware, PowerSchool, a software vendor used by Haverford, recently experienced a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain information in the PowerSchool Information System.

The District has been working diligently to respond to this incident. Since this did not occur on our network, this process has involved working to gather information from PowerSchool to better determine what happened and how it impacts our community, including what personal information was involved.

Based on the information provided to date, we understand that PowerSchool became aware of a cybersecurity incident on December 28, 2024. They determined that, as part of the cybersecurity incident, certain information from their PowerSchool Student Information System (SIS) environment was copied from the system without authorization. Based on our review, the data present in the relevant system varies by individual and may not contain personally identifiable information for everyone. However, we understand that PowerSchool will be sending a communication to all email addresses contained in their system, regardless of whether that individual’s personally identifiable information was involved. From our communications with PowerSchool, we understand that they will begin to provide these email notifications to individuals via email in the coming days. Additionally, we understand PowerSchool has posted notice of this incident to its website with more information: https://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/.

The accuracy of the information being shared and the responsibility of Haverford to its students, teachers, and community, are among our top priorities. We are also providing information below on steps individuals can take to help protect personal information.

PowerSchool has engaged Experian, to provide complimentary identity protection and credit monitoring services on behalf of PowerSchool.  You can visit their website to learn how to activate the offerings from Experian, linked here: https://www.powerschool.com/security/sis-incident/notice-of-united-states-data-breach/

Steps Individuals May Take To Help Protect Personal Information

Information to Monitor Accounts for Adults Over 18

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.  To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228.  You may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of your credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost.  An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file.  Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit.  If you are a victim of identity theft, you are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years.  Should you wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any one of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization.  The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in your name without your consent.  However, you should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in your credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application you make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit.  Pursuant to federal law, you cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on your credit report.  To request a security freeze, you may need to provide the following information, depending on whether you make the request online, by phone, or by mail:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.);
7. Social Security Card, pay stub, or W2;
8. If you are a victim of identity theft, include a copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft.

Should you wish to place a credit freeze, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Information to Monitor Accounts for Minors

Typically, credit reporting agencies do not have a credit report in a minor’s name. To find out if a minor has a credit report or to request a manual search for a minor’s Social Security number each credit bureau has its own process. To learn more about these processes or request these services, consumers may contact the credit bureaus by phone, writing, or online:

To request information about the existence of a credit file in a minor’s name, search for a minor’s Social Security number, place a security freeze or fraud alert on a minor’s credit report (if one exists), or request a copy of a minor’s credit report consumers may be required to provide the following information:

• A copy of their driver's license or another government issued identification card, such as a state identification card, etc.;
• Proof of address, such as a copy of a bank statement, utility bill, insurance statement, etc.;
• A copy of the minor's birth certificate;
• A copy of the minor's Social Security card;
• The minor's full name, including middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR, II, III, etc.;
• The minor's date of birth; and
• The minor’s previous addresses for the past two years.

Additional Information

You may further educate yourself regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps you can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261.  The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. You can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. You have the right to file a police report if you ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, you will likely need to provide some proof that you have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement, your state Attorney General, and the Federal Trade Commission.