Access and Privacy Online

Access and Privacy Online


Southern Manitoba school division issues update regarding data breach

A southern Manitoba school division has issued an update after a cybersecurity breach compromised student information from multiple Manitoba school divisions. “We are writing to provide an update about the cybersecurity incident that PowerSchool, our student information system (SIS) provider, recently experienced,” said Hanover School Division (HSD) Superintendent and CEO Joe Thiessen in a letter […]

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House lawmakers push to ban AI app DeepSeek from US government devices

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan duo in the the U.S. House is proposing legislation to ban the Chinese artificial intelligence app DeepSeek from federal devices, similar to the policy already in place for the popular social media platform TikTok. Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Darin LaHood, R-Ill., on Thursday introduced the “No DeepSeek on Government […]

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Democratic senators protest after they say Trump gives Musk’s staff access to classified info

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee are demanding answers after they say President Donald Trump gave billionaire Elon Musk and his staff access to sensitive data and classified secrets as part of their work to overhaul the federal government. The lawmakers on Wednesday wrote to Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, and […]

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Justice Dept. official accuses FBI chief of ‘insubordination,’ tamps down talk of revenge on agents

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Justice Department official accused the FBI’s acting leaders of “insubordination” in a Wednesday memo in which he sought to soothe anxiety inside the bureau over the potential for a broad purge of agents involved in investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The memo from acting Deputy Attorney […]

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Publishers, a library and others sue over Idaho’s law restricting youth access to ‘harmful’ books

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Several large book publishers, a tiny public library and others are suing Idaho officials over a law that forces libraries to keep some books in an adults-only section if community members believe they are “harmful to minors.” The Donnelly Library, Penguin Random House and the others suing say the law is […]

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Inside Vancouver Library’s Ban on Pro-Palestinian Symbols

Vancouver Public Library policies that prevent staff from wearing Palestinian symbols have put the library in the spotlight. The library’s policies say it can’t become involved in partisan issues and bar employees from wearing political symbols at work. After a handful of complaints about pro-Palestinian symbols at library branches this summer, leadership enforced the policies […]

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Trump and Musk’s dismantling of government is shaking the foundations of US democracy

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Elon Musk debuted the Department of Government Efficiency recently at the Capitol, House Speaker Mike Johnson enthusiastically predicted the coming Trump administration would bring “a lot of change around here.” Three weeks in, the change the Trump administration has brought is a disruption of the federal government on an unprecedented scale, […]

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Brant PowerSchool update: 15 years of data, some SINs accessed in hack

If you were a student or staff member with Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board in the last decade and a half, hackers may have accessed your address, phone number and social insurance number (SIN). Last month, the board notified parents it was part of a widespread data breach affecting dozens of school boards […]

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Central Alberta school divisions dealing with North America-wide PowerSchool data hack

School divisions in central Alberta are coping with a huge headache related to cybercrime: what appears to be a massive ransomeware attack against computer company PowerSchool that’s affected students and teachers across North America. PowerSchool notified hundreds of schools and school divisions across North America Jan. 7 that it’s cloud-based storage system had been hacked; […]

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ACLU files lawsuit on behalf of Arkansas librarian fired after opposing book censorship effort

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Monday on behalf of an Arkansas librarian who was fired after she spoke out against efforts to restrict the public’s access to certain books. The ACLU of Arkansas filed the lawsuit on behalf of former Saline County Library Director Patty Hector, who […]

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Elon Musk says President Donald Trump has ‘agreed’ USAID should be shut down

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Agency for International Development is on the cusp of being shuttered, according the Trump administration’s billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk — who has been wrestling for control of the agency in recent days. Early Monday, Musk held a live session on X Spaces, previously known as Twitter Spaces, […]

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20250201 Access and Privacy Online

Show Notes for Saturday February 1st. Writing: Shaun Fisk  | Production: Patrick Farnsworth  | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder Send comments to: FIPAOnline @ fipa.bc.ca You can support these efforts by subscribing or donating.   Full Show Links Schools and Cybersecurity: PowerSchool Breach  PowerSchool’s Cyberbreach Not a Saskatchewan Issue  https://fipa.bc.ca/powerschools-cyberbreach-not-a-saskatchewan-issue/  Wakaw Recorder – https://wakawrecorder.ca/  CBE still cannot confirm how many families have been impacted by PowerSchool […]

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