---
title: "Burnaby Schools says threat actor may have put student and staff data on dark web"
description: "Burnaby School District updated families on November 3 that files from the September cyberattack may have been published on the dark web by the threat actor. An outside expert is checking the claim."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/burnaby-2026/news/burnaby-schools-cyberattack-dark-web-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-07T17:29:34.120Z"
---

Burnaby School District says the people behind its September cyberattack claim to have put files from the attack on the dark web, a part of the internet used to sell or leak stolen data. The district added the news to its incident page, in an update dated November 3, 2026.

"We have recently received reports that the threat actor claims to have published files and information from this incident on the dark web," the district wrote. "We have reason to believe that some files taken from the school district may have been included." It says it has engaged an external expert to confirm whether that is the case and, if so, what information was affected.

## What may have been taken

The district discovered the ransomware attack on September 21, 2026. On October 15, CTV News reported that the district had confirmed personal information of students, parents and staff was stolen.

The district's page lists the student and family information that may have been affected: names, contact information, Personal Education Numbers, dates of birth, grades and schools for 2024 and 2026; registration forms and residency documents, such as citizenship, permanent resident or visa papers, leases and utility bills, for students who enrolled in 2024 or 2026; kindergarten assessment notes from 2021 to 2025; and lists of students receiving specialized learning supports, in some cases with a diagnosis. In a smaller number of cases, bus routing information, student intervention records and other assessments were affected.

Staff personnel records were also put at risk, including files about some former employees. The district says it is contacting former staff directly.

## What the district has done

The district reported the attack to the Burnaby RCMP and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC. Phone service returned at all schools on September 28, and the MyEducation family portal on October 1.

On October 14 it offered students registration with TransUnion's Fraud Alert Database, which warns participating creditors to check a person's identity before giving credit. Staff were offered TransUnion's services after a notice on October 1. The district asks families to be careful with unexpected emails, texts or calls that ask for personal information.

## The new board

The district's calendar lists a public meeting of the Burnaby Board of Education on November 24, 2026 at 7 pm at the District Administration Office, 4054 Norfolk Street. All seven trustees elected on October 17 ran with the Burnaby Citizens Association: [Kristin Schnider](/bc/burnaby-2026/candidates/kristin-schnider), [Bill Brassington](/bc/burnaby-2026/candidates/bill-brassington), [Hillary Bergshoeff](/bc/burnaby-2026/candidates/hillary-bergshoeff), [Jen Mezei](/bc/burnaby-2026/candidates/jen-mezei), [Paul Kwon](/bc/burnaby-2026/candidates/paul-kwon), [Stephen Andrada](/bc/burnaby-2026/candidates/stephen-andrada) and [Colin Zuo](/bc/burnaby-2026/candidates/colin-zuo).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/burnaby-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.