Vancouver School Board warns staff of potential privacy breach after 'fraudulent activity'

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 26, 2025 8:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

The Vancouver School Board (VSB) says it is investigating a cybersecurity incidental involving its online banking systems that whitethorn person exposed immoderate worker information.

In a connection to CBC News, the committee said it learned astir the incidental connected Wednesday and instantly secured its platform. 

It says accusation belonging to employees, tuition fee-payers and vendors whitethorn person been placed astatine risk but that determination is nary existent grounds that information was accessed.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we are advising each perchance impacted individuals and companies of this incident," VSB said. "It is important to enactment that this incidental does not interaction accusation of different students and their families."

The Vancouver Police Department has been notified and the VSB says it is pursuing protocols acceptable by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner portion the probe continues.

"We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of the impacted individuals and are taking protective measures to forestall further fraud attempts."

A missive obtained by CBC News and sent to each VSB employees offers further details astir the breach and advises unit to stay vigilant.

WATCH | Your kid's schoolhouse conscionable sent a cyber incidental email. What does it mean? 

According to the letter, determination is simply a imaginable hazard that the attackers whitethorn person unlawfully obtained worker names, slope relationship details, wage amounts and VSB recognition numbers. The announcement specifies that affected slope relationship accusation is constricted to accounts utilized for payroll wrong the past 180 days.

"We are advising each employees to show their slope accounts cautiously and to interaction their fiscal instauration for proposal connected steps they should beryllium taking fixed this imaginable unlawful entree to information," the missive reads.

Employees are besides encouraged to reappraisal fraud and individuality theft prevention resources. The missive adds that enactment is available, including assistance to alteration payroll deposit information.

The VSB says determination are nary expected disruptions to regular payroll oregon different systems.