Cyberattack results in student information being stolen from Pembina Trails School Division

Personal info stolen in cyberattack Pembina Trails School Division has confirmed personal info from students was stolen during a recent cyberattack.

A school division in Winnipeg is revealing the extent of a cyberattack on its systems earlier this month, confirming personal information of students was stolen in the attack.

The Pembina Trails School Division said Thursday a cybersecurity incident reported Dec. 2 saw an "unauthorized third party" access a database containing student information.

“We deeply regret that this incident occurred,” said Shelley Amos, division CEO and superintendent, in an emailed statement. “We find it appalling that an organization dedicated to the education and safety of children should be the focus of this kind of criminal activity.”

The information accessed includes names, birthdates, gender, addresses, contact information for parents, personal health identification numbers, and most recent photos.

The division added the information also includes health concerns, immigration information, and names of previous schools for some students.

Amos said the division has connected with cybersecurity professionals to help investigate the cyberattack, and took systems offline to help contain the incident. The division is progressively restoring the systems in a secure manner.

Pembina Trails is also notifying current and former students who had info in the database and has notified law enforcement. The division said it's reaching out to students who attended schools from 2014 on and staff who worked in 2009 and later.