Groton Public Schools

On March 29, 2024, the Maine Office of the Attorney General disclosed a data breach at Groton Public Schools (GPS), where unauthorized actors gained access to sensitive information between January 21, 2024, and February 1, 2024. The incident exposed Social Security Numbers (SSNs) of at least one affected resident, though the full scope of compromised records remains undisclosed. GPS responded by offering identity theft protection services via Experian IdentityWorks to mitigate potential risks such as fraud or identity theft. The breach highlights vulnerabilities in the school district’s data security measures, raising concerns over the protection of personally identifiable information (PII) within educational institutions. While the attack did not involve ransomware or widespread data exfiltration, the exposure of SSNs critical for financial and identity verification poses long-term risks for the affected individual(s). The incident underscores the need for robust cybersecurity protocols in public sector entities handling sensitive data.

Source: https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/6bd2607b-6f60-47aa-8c28-92e03c522d20.shtml

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/groton-public-schools

"id": "gro954091725",
"linkid": "groton-public-schools",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "1/2024",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 1,
                        'industry': 'Education',
                        'location': 'Groton, Connecticut, USA',
                        'name': 'Groton Public Schools (GPS)',
                        'type': 'Educational Institution'}],
 'customer_advisories': ['Identity theft protection services offered to '
                         'affected individual via Experian IdentityWorks'],
 'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': 1,
                 'personally_identifiable_information': True,
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Social Security Numbers']},
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-03-29',
 'description': "Unauthorized access to Groton Public Schools' systems "
                'potentially exposed Social Security Numbers of one resident. '
                'The breach occurred between January 21, 2024, and February 1, '
                '2024. GPS offered identity theft protection services through '
                'Experian IdentityWorks as a response.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['Social Security Numbers'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High (Social Security Numbers exposed)'},
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-03-29',
                 'source': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': ['Maine Office of the '
                                                        'Attorney General']},
 'response': {'third_party_assistance': ['Experian IdentityWorks (identity '
                                         'theft protection services)']},
 'title': 'Data Breach at Groton Public Schools (GPS)',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}