Teenager Admits Guilt Over Hacking Accusations Following Mass Data Leak of Millions of School Children's Information
In a significant cybercrime case, 19-year-old Matthew Lane from Sterling, Massachusetts, has admitted his guilt in relation to multiple high-profile hacking incidents, including the breach of PowerSchool, a leading education technology company.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Lane agreed to plead guilty to charges related to the data breach in May 2025. The specifics about the hacking method used by Lane are not disclosed, but it's known that he gained unauthorized access to PowerSchool's network, leading to the theft of sensitive data on tens of millions of children.
The FBI official, Kimberly Milka, stated that Lane stood accused of obtaining sensitive data from an education software provider with the intention of extorting millions of dollars. The details of the plea agreement for both hacking incidents are not provided in the given paragraphs.
NBC reported that PowerSchool, a cloud and analytics provider that services K-12 schools across North America, was the victim of the hack. The extortion message sent to PowerSchool threatened to leak sensitive data of over 60 million students and 10 million teachers if a ransom of 30 Bitcoin (approximately $2.85 million at the time) was not paid.
The extortion message specifically included names, email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medical information, residential addresses, parent and guardian information, and passwords. The stolen data also included Social Security numbers, dates of birth, confidential medical information, and other data of students and faculty.
Lane used an anonymous email to contact PowerSchool directly, demanding the ransom in Bitcoin. Gizmodo reached out to PowerSchool for comment regarding the extortion message, but no response was provided.
In addition to the PowerSchool hack, Lane is also accused of hacking a cloud company using stolen employee login credentials, but the company's name hasn't been disclosed in court documents. Lane allegedly stated that he and his group were the only ones with a copy of the stolen data from the telecom and threatened to leak it if the ransom was not paid.
PowerSchool is described as one of the top tech education companies in the country, providing critical services to schools and educators. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of cybersecurity in the digital age, particularly in sectors dealing with sensitive personal data.
- Matthew Lane, the 19-year-old hacker from Massachusetts, was reported to have used technology to breach PowerSchool, a leading education technology company.
- The theft of sensitive data on tens of millions of children, as a result of the PowerSchool hack, has highlighted the significance of cybersecurity in the general-news sector, especially in dealing with sensitive personal data.
- Gizmodo, a technology-focused news outlet, reached out to PowerSchool for comment regarding an extortion message that demanded a ransom in Bitcoin, but no response was provided.
- Apart from the PowerSchool hack, Lane is also accused of using stolen employee login credentials to hack a cloud company, demonstrating the need for strong cybersecurity measures in the tech industry, including crime-and-justice sectors.
