On September 5, 2023, Minneapolis Public Schools (“MPS”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Maine after discovering that an unauthorized party gained access to certain information on MPS’ computer systems. In this notice, MPS explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access consumers’ sensitive information, which includes their names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, financial account numbers, state student numbers, medical/health information, and health insurance information. Upon completing its investigation, MPS began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.

If you received a data breach notification from Minneapolis Public Schools, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the Minneapolis Public Schools data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.

What Caused the Minneapolis Public Schools Breach?

The Minneapolis Public Schools data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, MPS’s filing with the Attorney General of Maine provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, on February 18, 2023, MPS detected suspicious activity within its computer network. In response, MPS reported the incident to law enforcement and launched an investigation to learn what, if any, consumer information was compromised.

The MPS investigation confirmed that an unauthorized actor had access to certain MPS computer systems between February 6, 2023, and February 18, 2023. It was later determined that some of the files that were accessible to the unauthorized party contained confidential information belonging to certain individuals.

After learning that sensitive consumer data was accessible to an unauthorized party, Minneapolis Public Schools reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which consumers were impacted. Minneapolis Public Schools completed this process on July 24, 2023. While the breached information varies depending on the individual, it may include your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, financial account number, state student number, medical/health information, and health insurance information.

On September 5, 2023, Minneapolis Public Schools sent out data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.

More Information About Minneapolis Public Schools

Minneapolis Public Schools is the school district covering all of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The district oversees nearly one hundred public schools in the area, including elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, special education schools, and alternative schools. Minneapolis Public Schools employs approximately 5,722 people and generates $621 in revenue each year.