Toronto Schools Say Hacker Kept Data After Ransom

A Toronto school district announced that sensitive data was not deleted by a hacker, despite a ransom payment and assurances that the breach had been contained. The district had previously relied on a video provided by the hacker, which appeared to show the deletion of stolen data following the payment. PowerSchool, the third-party vendor involved, had stated that it believed the issue was resolved based on the video evidence. However, recent developments suggest that the hacker retained access to the compromised information, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the response.

The incident underscores the risks associated with negotiating with cybercriminals and highlights the limitations of relying on unverifiable proof of data deletion. The school district has not disclosed the amount paid in the ransom or the specific data affected. Authorities are likely to investigate further as questions remain about the security of student and staff information and the measures taken to prevent similar breaches.