Cloud-Based Hosting Recovery for Indianapolis Public Schools

This case study outlines the response of Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) to a ransomware attack that occurred in spring 2020. The document details how IPS, the largest public school district in Indiana, utilized PowerSchool’s cloud-based hosting for disaster recovery. Following the attack, IPS was able to restore all its applications within two hours by leveraging PowerSchool’s backup server. The case study explains the transition from on-premises hosting to cloud-based solutions, highlighting the benefits of increased security, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. IPS's Director of Student Information Systems, David Brunsting, emphasizes the ease of data management and the efficiency gained through the cloud. The document also notes that the decision to permanently shift to PowerSchool’s cloud hosting was made quickly after the attack, resulting in reduced risk and enhanced data security for the district. The case study concludes with reflections on the lessons learned and the ongoing partnership with PowerSchool to further enhance their educational technology ecosystem.