Toledo Public School System Data Breach Lawsuit | Students and Staff’s Information Compromised
The Toledo Public School System (TPS) was the target of a cyberattack in September 2020. While at first it was thought the attackers only wanted to take TPS’s system offline, it was later revealed the attackers had access to personal information from students and staff. According to a letter from TPS, the Data Breach compromised “name, date of birth, Social Security number, and information about one’s employment or academic history.”
Data breaches occur when unauthorized parties gain access to private information. Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane & Conway represents consumers in lawsuits against corporations and institutions around the world that fail to adequately safeguard customer information. If your information was compromised during the Toledo Public School System Data Breach, please contact Peiffer Wolf by filling out an online contact form or by calling 314-833-4827 for a FREE Consultation.
What is a Data Breach?
A data breach means that private/confidential information is accessed and/or exposed by unauthorized people or organizations. The information acquired from data breaches can include name, login information, passwords, e-mail and physical addresses, credit card numbers, etc. In some instances, it can even include Social Security numbers.
Companies and institutions storing data for consumers have a legal obligation to keep it secure and inaccessible to third parties. They can be held liable for failing to keep your information safe. If the Toledo Public School System failed to adequately safeguard your personal and academic information, please contact Peiffer Wolf by filling out an online contact form or by calling 314-833-4827 for a FREE Consultation.
Data Breach: Why the Toledo Public School System?
Only the financial and healthcare sectors had more breaches [than the educational sector].
The U.S. Department of Education warns that “Educational institutions should take appropriate steps to safeguard student records. Breaches of educational data are common and can lead to a violation of FERPA [Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974], as well as to a host of negative consequences for students such as identity theft, fraud, and extortion.”
In the case of the Toledo Public School System, the cyberattack went further than the breach itself. According to 13abc:
The data discovered by the I-Team on Friday reveals that the district was at some point subject to a much greater breach of security known as a ransomware attack. This style of cybercrime occurs when a piece of malware is introduced to a school or corporate server through something as simple as an infected link or e-mail attachment disguised as legitimate communication. Once downloaded to the system, the perpetrators are able to use the malware to access and encrypt data, including personal information store in secure files. The hackers then hold that data ransom, demanding payment, usually in the form of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. If the victims fail to pay, the hackers then dump that collected data online exposing huge amounts of personal information, including social security numbers.
Toledo Public School System Data Breach | What Should You Do?
If TPS sent you a notice that a data breach occurred and your information was compromised, you should take a few steps to protect yourself.
- If credit/debit card information was stolen, you should cancel your credit/debit card and ask for a new one;
- Change your passwords and security questions for the breached accounts. If you use the same or similar passwords for other accounts, change them as well;
- If your Social Security number was stolen, you might consider a credit freeze and should have a credit monitoring service set up;
- Contact DMV in case your driver’s license number was stolen.
However, according to TPS, not all the victims of the Data Breach received the notification. If you are a student or staff member that hasn’t received a notification, you should still consider taking the actions listed in the steps above.
Protecting yourself after a data breach comes at a high price, and you will have to spend time and money to make sure you are not the victim of fraud and identity theft. That is why it is imperative that you take action and demand compensation.
Companies and institutions storing data for consumers have a legal obligation to keep it secure and inaccessible to third parties. They can be held liable for failing to keep your information safe. If the Toledo Public School System failed to adequately safeguard your personal and academic information, please contact Peiffer Wolf by filling out an online contact form or by calling 314-833-4827 for a FREE Consultation.
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Companies and institutions storing data for consumers have a legal obligation to keep it secure and inaccessible to third parties. They can be held liable for failing to keep your information safe. If your personal, financial, medical and/or academic information was compromised in a data breach, please contact Peiffer Wolf by filling out an online contact form or by calling 314-833-4827 for a FREE Consultation.
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