Yesterday was a day. Not just any day, the kind of day that makes you want to crawl back into bed, hug your favorite blanket, and whisper, “Not today, world.” Because while my network was behaving itself (thank you, firewall gods), the same couldn’t be said for one of our servers managed by a vendor. Yep, someone decided our data looked like a tasty snack, and I was left to clean up the crumbs.
Let me set the scene. There I was, caffeinated and ready to tackle the usual chaos—printer tantrums, email quirks, the odd philosophical debate about whether the copier is alive and out to get us, when I got the alert. Not from my network, mind you, but from our third-party server, which apparently felt like moonlighting as a piñata for bad actors.
At first, I thought, “Oh, PowerSchool’s got this. They’re the pros, right?” Spoiler: They did not have this. What they had was a problem, and since that problem had our data’s name all over it, it quickly became my problem too. Fun!
So, there I was, diving into logs, alerts, and a steady stream of emails from PowerSchool’s team, who, bless their hearts, were clearly at capacity. They assured me they were “investigating the issue,” which is corporate-speak for “We’re frantically Googling how to fix this.” Meanwhile, I was left to piece together what exactly was happening, how much of our data was at risk, and whether I needed to call in the cavalry—or at least the caffeine delivery service.
The good news: My network was untouched, safe and sound behind layers of security I’ve lovingly built and maintained like it’s my own digital fortress. The bad news: That fortress didn’t matter because the breach was happening in someone else’s backyard. A very important backyard where we keep our stuff.
The attack, best I can tell, wasn’t sophisticated enough to cause concern but also not clever enough to go undetected. Think of it as a burglar tripping over the garden gnome on their way out; still bad, but at least we knew they were there. powerSchool, managed to regain control, plug the holes, and assure me they were taking steps to ensure this wouldn’t happen again. .
Here’s what I’ve learned from all this:
- No matter how secure your own systems are, you’re only as strong as your weakest vendor.
- When someone says “managed server,” don’t assume they mean well-managed.
- You can’t take your eye off the ball, even when it’s technically someone else’s ball.
Was it stressful? Did I age another five years? idk, But I feel we really dodged the bullet this time. And now, I have a fresh list of questions for every vendor we work with about their security practices. Spoiler: They’re not going to love me at the next meeting.
So, here’s my advice: Check on your data. Ask the tough questions. Don’t assume someone else has it all under control. Because while PowerSchool handled it eventually, I’m still the one who had to explain to my boss why our data spent the day hanging out in a dark alley with the wrong crowd.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to refill my coffee and update our vendor review process. And maybe buy a sturdier garden gnome.