Greater Amsterdam School District reports February data breach; forensic investigation underway

The Greater Amsterdam School District has reported a data breach potentially compromising protected student information, according to a notice issued by the district. The breach occurred on February 23 and was discovered on February 28. The public was notified on May 28 in a letter from Superintendent Richard Ruberti on the district’s website.

The district has not clarified the notification delay of nearly three months. State education law mandates that affected students, parents, and staff should be notified "in the most expedient way possible and without unreasonable delay" in the event of an unauthorized release of personally identifiable information.

The district’s incident response team has informed appropriate state and federal agencies as required. A forensic investigation, conducted in coordination with the district’s cyber insurance company, is ongoing to determine the extent of the breach.

Superintendent Ruberti reassured the community in his statement, emphasizing the district’s commitment to data security. "Please rest assured that the Greater Amsterdam School District is dedicated to protecting and securing educational data. Our team is extensively trained in data security and privacy, and our systems have numerous controls to safeguard your child’s academic records. Student privacy is of utmost importance to us, and we are closely monitoring this incident," the statement read.

Affected students, teachers, and principals, both current and former, will receive letters with more detailed information if the forensic investigation confirms that personal information was compromised. The district is urging anyone with questions to contact them directly. Former students seeking additional information can reach Director of Technology Eric Scholl at 518-843-3180 ext. 7510 or via email at dataprivacy@gasd.org.