Notice: PowerSchool Breach
On December 28, 2024, PowerSchool became aware of a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access and transfer of certain personal information from PowerSchool Student Information System (SIS) environments through one of their community-focused customer support portals, PowerSource, affecting an estimated 62 million individuals nationwide.
Out of an extreme abundance of caution, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is publicly notifying, via way of this notice, individuals whose information may have been involved in this security incident. Iowa HHS uses PowerSchool to house records for individuals at Independence Mental Health Institute – IMHI and the Eldora Boys State Training School - STS). It is possible that PowerSchool may have already notified affected individuals directly of this security incident.
As soon as PowerSchool learned of the incident, they engaged cybersecurity response protocols and involved senior leadership and third-party cybersecurity experts to conduct an investigation of the scope of the incident and to monitor for signs of information misuse. PowerSchool is not aware at this time of any identity theft caused by this incident.
Steps You Should Take
PowerSchool is offering two years of complimentary identity protection services to students and educators whose information was involved. For adult students and educators whose information was involved, this offer will also include two years of complimentary credit monitoring services.
If your personal information was involved in this incident and you are interested in enrolling in credit monitoring or identity protection, please follow the steps for either Option 1 or Option 2 below:
Option 1: If the Named Individual is 18 or Over
Enrollment Instructions
- Ensure that you enroll by May 30, 2025 (Your code will not work after this date at 5:59 UTC)
- Visit the Experian IdentityWorks website to enroll: https://www.experianidworks.com/plus
- Provide your activation code: CTYU949PRK
- For over the phone assistance with enrollment or questions about the product, please contact Experian’s customer care team at 833-918-9464
- Be prepared to provide engagement number B138812
Option 2: If the Named Individual is Under 18
Enrollment Instructions
- Ensure that you enroll by May 30, 2025 (Your code will not work after this date at 5:59 UTC)
- Visit the Experian IdentityWorks website to enroll: https://www.experianidworks.com/minorplus
- Provide your activation code: CEBP456TRK
- For over the phone assistance with enrollment or questions about the product, please contact Experian’s customer care team at 833-918-9464
- Be prepared to provide engagement number B138813
Please note these additional details regarding the Experian Identityworks Credit Plus Membership
A credit card is not required for enrollment in Experian IdentityWorks. You can contact Experian immediately regarding any fraud issues, and have access to the following features once you enroll in Experian IdentityWorks:
- Social Security Number Trace: Monitoring to determine whether enrolled minors in your household have an Experian credit report. Alerts of all names, aliases and addresses that become associated with your minor’s Social Security Number (SSN) on the Experian credit report.
- Internet Surveillance: Technology searches the web, chat rooms & bulletin boards 24/7 to identify trading or selling of your personal information on the Dark Web.
- Identity Restoration: Identity Restoration agents are immediately available to help you address credit and non-credit related fraud.
- Experian IdentityWorks ExtendCARETM: You receive the same high-level of Identity Restoration support even after your Experian IdentityWorks membership has expired.
- $1 Million Identity Theft Insurance**: Provides coverage for certain costs and unauthorized electronic fund transfers.
What Can You Do, in addition to registering for credit monitoring/identity protection?
If you are concerned you may request free credit reports.
To order your free annual credit report from the three national credit reporting companies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), you can do one of the following:
- Go to www.AnnualCreditReport.com;
- Call toll-free1-877-322-8228;
- Write to the Annual Credit Report RequestService, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
You may also place a freeze on your three credit reports. This free tool lets you restrict access to your credit report which makes it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Placing a freeze on your credit reports does not affect your credit score. To get more information and for the telephone numbers to place a freeze on your credit reports, go to www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs#what.
If you suspect your identity has been stolen, please contact your local enforcement officials or call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 515-281-5926 or toll-free at 1-888-777-4590. You can also write to the Consumer Protection Division, 1305 E. Walnut St #110, Des Moines, IA 50319.
For information on preventing and dealing with identify theft, go to www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.gov and click on “For Consumers” at the bottom of the page. Please also see www.PrivacyRights.org and www.ftc.gov/idtheft.