Information from Highline Public Schools

Highline Public Schools is notifying the community of an incident involving personal information on its systems. This notice includes details about the incident, their response, and resources available to help protect personal information if individuals choose to do so. 

On September 7, 2024, Highline discovered it was the victim of a malicious ransomware attack. Immediate actions were taken to secure their systems, and an investigation was conducted with the support of third-party computer forensic specialists. The investigation determined that an unknown actor gained access to certain systems on their network and accessed certain files. After the forensic investigation, Highline performed a detailed and labor-intensive review of the affected files to determine if personal information was involved and to identify the individuals associated with this information. This review has recently been completed. 

The types of information impacted vary by individual and include name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, financial account information, passport number, employment information, digital signature, medical information, health insurance information, student identification number, student record/demographic information and grade information. 

Confidentiality, privacy and security of personal information are among Highline’s highest priorities. Upon becoming aware of this incident, the district immediately took steps to secure their systems and initiated a full investigation. Additional security measures are being implemented to further protect against similar incidents moving forward. This incident was also reported to federal law enforcement.  

Additionally, Highline is offering credit monitoring and identity protection services for 12 months through IDX at no cost to individuals in the Highline community. Individuals will not be automatically enrolled in these services. Instructions on how to enroll in these services can be found below in the section titled Steps You Can Take to Help Protect Personal Information. 

As a precautionary measure, individuals are encouraged to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft by reviewing their account statements, credit reports, and explanations of benefits for unusual activity and to detect errors. Any suspicious activity should promptly be reported to the appropriate insurance company, health care provider, or financial institution. Interested individuals can also review the information below for further guidance. 

If you have any questions or feel you or your student’s data may have been impacted, please call the dedicated assistance line at 1-877-758-1726, Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. PT to 6:00 p.m. PT (excluding U.S. holidays). You may also write to Highline at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW, Burien, WA 98166.  

Steps You Can Take To Protect Personal Information 

Enroll in Monitoring Services 

Highline encourages those who feel their information may have been impacted to contact IDX to enroll in the free identity protection services being offered by calling 1-877-758-1726 or going to response.idx.us/HighlinePublicSchools. IDX representatives are available Monday through Friday from 6 am - 6 pm Pacific Time. Please note the deadline to enroll is July 2, 2025.  

Monitor Your Accounts 

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report. 

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below. 

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information: 

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.); 

2. Social Security number; 

3. Date of birth; 

4. Addresses for the prior two to five years; 

5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill; 

6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and 

7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft. 

Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below: 

Additional Information 

Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect your personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state Attorney General. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.