Pembina Trails student database found on dark web

A man typing on a backlit computer keyboard. (Bloomberg Creative Photos/Bloomberg Creative)

The Pembina Trails School Division (PTSD) is warning students that a backup of its student database from 2021 has been found on the dark web.

According to a letter from the school division, the database has information from the previous 10 years, including names, dates of birth, gender, parent contact information, school photos, and personal health identification numbers. For some students, it also includes health concerns, immigration information, and names of previous educational institutions.

The database does not include financial information.

“As such, if you were a student at Pembina Trails School Division at any time since 2011, your information was contained in that file,” the division said.

The school division notes that this news is related to a cybersecurity incident reported in December 2024.

Moving forward, Pembina Trails is working with a third-party cybersecurity professional to investigate the incident and notified police and the Manitoba Ombudsman. It’s also contacting current and former students.

The school division said it deeply regrets this incident and asks its community to remain vigilant about third parties trying to take advantage of their concerns through scams or phishing calls.