Latest news with #OPC
Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
Federal probe into massive PowerSchool data breach is being discontinued
Canada's privacy commissioner said Tuesday that he has discontinued his investigation into the PowerSchool data breach after the education software company agreed to take measures to improve its cybersecurity. The December 2024 hack accessed the personal data — including medical information and social security numbers — of millions of current and former students and thousands of staff across Canada. The office of privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne (OPC) said in a news release that PowerSchool 'took measures to contain the breach, notify affected individuals and organizations and offer credit protection, and has voluntarily committed to additional actions to support its security safeguards.' Those actions include 'strengthened monitoring and detection tools,' the OPC release said. 'In light of the actions that PowerSchool has already implemented, and those that it will implement over the coming months, Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne has decided to discontinue the investigation that he launched in February but will be monitoring to ensure that all of PowerSchool's commitments are fully met,' it continued. Story continues below advertisement 'I welcome PowerSchool's willingness to engage with my Office to achieve a timely resolution that will result in stronger protections for the personal information of students, parents, and educators across Canada,' Dufresne said in a statement. 'Federal privacy law requires that organizations protect personal information with security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. This is particularly important when dealing with children's personal information.' 2:08 Calgary law firm files lawsuit over massive PowerSchool data breach Dufresne's investigation began more than a month after the company began to notify PowerSchool users about the data breach, which impacted school boards across most of North America and other countries that PowerSchool serves. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Global News contacted every school board across the country early this year to determine how many were impacted. Of those that responded, at least 87 were affected. Data from those that provided numbers showed that more than 2.77 million current and former students were confirmed to have been affected. In addition, 35,951 staff members, including teachers, were confirmed impacted, with one Nova Scotia school board advising that 3,500 parents' data was also accessed. Story continues below advertisement Some Canadian school boards informed families in May that they had received new ransom demands involving the stolen data. A Massachusetts college student, 19-year-old Matthew Lane, agreed in May to plead guilty to criminal charges related to the data breach, including cyber extortion, according to U.S. prosecutors. Sources close to the investigation told The Associated Press and Reuters that PowerSchool was the company identified as 'Victim 1' in the criminal complaint. 0:38 Teen charged in mass school data breach tied to PowerSchool What did PowerSchool agree to? According to a letter of commitment with the OPC signed last week and released Tuesday, PowerSchool has until the end of July to provide any additional information related to the data breach to the commissioner, and to confirm if it plans to implement any additional authentication process in its affected PowerSource platform. Story continues below advertisement The company will need to provide evidence by the end of this year that it has strengthened its monitoring and detection tools, that those tools can 'identify patterns of irregular activity,' and that it has thoroughly reviewed and readjusted its system access privileges for both security and operational needs. By March 2026, PowerSchool will need to show that it has obtained recertification of the global information security standard known as ISO/IEC 27001. It must also provide an independent, third-party security assessment and report to the OPC on PowerSchool's updated safeguards to protect personal information, prevent and respond to potential breaches, and other cybersecurity measures. If the report includes recommendations for PowerSchool to implement, the company must show the OPC whether it has accepted them and provide an implementation plan and timelines, or provide reasons why it has not accepted them. The commissioner will have to review and approve those submissions. PowerSchool also agreed to continue supporting affected clients and carry out its regular reporting and notification obligations under federal and provincial privacy laws. The OPC letter said PowerSchool's commitments are 'a fair and reasonable response to the complaint' that sparked Dufresne's investigation in February. Global News has asked the office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario if its investigation into the PowerSchool data breach remains ongoing. Story continues below advertisement 'We take the privacy and security of student, educator, and family data extremely seriously,' a PowerSchool spokesperson told Global News in an emailed statement responding to the OPC's announcement. 'Following the 2024 security incident, we worked closely with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to respond swiftly, transparently, and responsibly. We're grateful for the Commissioner's collaboration in helping us strengthen our safeguards even further. PowerSchool remains fully committed to making continual investments in our security infrastructure and the ongoing support of our education partners across Canada.' — with files from Global's Sean Previl
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Overseas Pakistanis: Services of OPC Punjab to be improved
LAHORE: Commissioner OPC Saman Rai has said that overseas Pakistanis are a valuable asset to the country, and providing them with timely facilities and addressing their complaints is among the top priorities of the Government of Punjab. While presiding over a high-level meeting of the Overseas Pakistanis Commission Punjab Commissioner Saman Rai discussed various reform initiatives aimed at making services provided more efficient, modern, and accessible. The meeting was attended by Director General OPC Ahmar Malik, Director Admin Aamir Ahmed Khan, Director Police Matters Imtiaz Ahmed Khan, Director Revenue Shoaib Niswana, Assistant Director Budget Azeem Bari, and Assistant Director IT Farhan Ramzan. It was decided in the meeting that the complaint redressal system would be fully aligned with modern requirements. The OPC mobile app will soon be made available on the Apple App Store, and a call centre will be reactivated to ensure immediate complaint registration and guidance. Additionally, the user interface of the web portal will be improved to make it more user-friendly and in line with international standards. She instructed that all digital platforms of OPC be upgraded to meet public expectations and international standards to enhance trust in the institution and ensure timely and transparent resolution of each complaint. Saman Rai is an officer of the Government of Punjab, Pakistan Administrative Service, currently serving in Grade 20. She has been posted as the Commissioner OPC Punjab to expedite pro diaspora engagement and complaint redressal mechanism. Throughout her career, she has served at various key administrative positions including Director General Population Welfare and Director General Public Relations (DGPR) Punjab. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Mint
13-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Solo entrepreneurs not personally liable for debts of their one person firms: HC
Mumbai: A crucial ruling by the Bombay High Court, which declared that solo entrepreneurs operating One Person Companies (OPCs) generally cannot be held personally liable for company debts, could give a shot in the arm to entrepreneurship in India, experts said. The 3 July judgement reinforces the legislative intent behind one person companies by ring-fencing the private assets of entrepreneurs from their business liabilities while also raising the bar for creditors attempting to pursue the founder's personal assets. The ruling emerged from a dispute between Endemol India and Innovative Film Academy Pvt. Ltd, an OPC solely owned by Saravana Prasad. Endemol sought to recover over ₹ 10 crore in unpaid dues from a production agreement, not only from the company but also from Prasad personally, demanding disclosure of his private assets. An arbitral tribunal had initially ordered both the company and Prasad to deposit the disputed sum in a fixed deposit and disclose their financial details. Prasad and Innovative Film Academy promptly challenged this order in the Bombay High Court. The high court firmly reaffirmed that an OPC, despite having just one shareholder and director, remains a distinct legal entity. This crucial distinction means a company's debts do not automatically become the personal responsibility of its owner. 'The OPC is meant to create a framework whereby individuals who need the protection of limited liability can ring-fence their personal liability and personal assets from the risks involved in the businesses run by them,' the court observed. Crucially, the court found no evidence that Prasad had personally guaranteed the company's debts or acted outside his role as director. It clarified that, absent a clear contractual or legal basis—such as a personal guarantee or proven fraud—the sole shareholder cannot be made personally liable for the company's obligations. The court upheld the tribunal's order requiring Innovative Film Academy to place the disputed sum in a fixed deposit to ensure funds are available if Endemol's claim ultimately succeeds. There were about 68,500 active OPCs in India as of 31 May, as per data from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. This compares to 1.9 million active companies, of which 1.8 million are private limited. The concept of OPCs was first introduced in India in 2013. Experts believe this ruling strongly aligns with the legislative policy to encourage entrepreneurship by allowing individuals to register OPCs and insulate their personal assets from business risks. 'This judgment brings in the desired clarity with respect to liability of sole member and company," said Gaurav Pingle, a practising company secretary. It will reinforce confidence in formation of One Person Companies by entrepreneurs, giving a fillip to starting up new businesses in India, he said. The judgement also sets a crucial legal precedent regarding debt recovery from OPCs. 'Till date there has been no case law relating to OPC. This seems to be the very first one and it has continued with the existing jurisprudence of restricting the grounds on which the corporate veil is to be lifted,' said Jayesh H, co-founder of Juris Corp. The ruling could prompt arbitral tribunals and lower courts to be more cautious when imposing personal liability on OPC owners without clear evidence, said Vishal Gehrana, partner designate at Karanjawala & Co. There is a perceivable downside to this ruling, too. Overly strict adherence to this principle by courts could lead to the risk of misuse, experts warned. 'If courts are rigid in upholding the corporate form in all circumstances, there is a possibility that individuals could exploit the OPC structure to shield themselves from liability, even in cases involving fraud, misrepresentation, or diversion of funds,' Gehrana stated. Thankfully, the benefits of OPCs being a separate legal entity cannot be availed when the person has committed frauds, misused the company as an entity or given personal guarantee and then defaulted, said Pingle, the company secretary. The ruling undeniably raises the bar for creditors seeking to recover dues from OPC owners. 'Creditors must now be more diligent in their contractual arrangements with OPCs, ensuring that personal guarantees or other security mechanisms are in place if they wish to have recourse beyond the company's assets,' Gehrana said. He added that without such arrangements or clear evidence of fraud, creditors cannot automatically look to the personal assets of the sole shareholder. Despite the new-found clarity, lawyers caution that certain ambiguities persist. 'The scope of veil piercing is not fully elaborated—the judgment affirms that the veil can be pierced in cases of fraud or wrongdoing, but does not specify the evidentiary threshold or the precise circumstances that would justify such action for OPCs,' Gehrana noted, suggesting this could lead to inconsistent application in future cases.
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Business Standard
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
NCL Industries shares fall 3% on weak Q1 business update; details here
Shares of NCL Industries fell nearly 3 per cent on Thursday after it reported a weak operational performance for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, signalling a muted start to the year. The cement maker's stock fell as much as 2.93 per cent during the day to ₹216.5 per share. The stock pared losses to trade 1.4 per cent lower at ₹219.8 apiece, compared to a 0.25 per cent decline in Nifty 50 as of 9:57 AM. Shares of the company fell for the fifth straight session and currently trade at 2.8 times the average 30-day trading volume, according to Bloomberg. The counter has risen 0.4 per cent this year, compared to a 7.5 per cent advance in the benchmark Nifty 50. NCL Industries has a total market capitalisation of ₹984.72 crore. NCL Industries Q1 business update The cement maker reported a decline across key product segments for the first quarter, according to the data released by the company. Cement production stood at 6.34 lakh metric tonnes (Mt), down 5 per cent from 6.69 lakh Mt in the same quarter last year. Cement dispatches also fell 4 per cent year-on-year to 6.28 lakh Mt from 6,57 lakh Mt. The cement boards segment witnessed sharper declines. Production dropped 17 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to 17,432 Mt, while dispatches fell significantly by 41 per cent to 11,159 Mt from 18,832 Mt in the year-ago period. Ready-mix concrete (RMC) production and sales contracted 8 per cent to 73,991 cubic metres (CuM), compared to 80,035 CuM a year ago. The doors segment saw the steepest decline, with production and sales falling 75 per cent to 1,610 units from 6,537 units in the corresponding quarter last year. About NCL Industries The company is a prominent Indian manufacturer specialising in building materials, with a strong focus on cement production and various construction products. The company manufactures Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Pozzolana Portland Cement (PPC), which are widely used in residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects. In addition to cement, NCL produces cement boards, pre-laminated boards, and decorative panels, which have found strong demand in the interior design and construction sectors.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Visa scam: Mangaluru Police arrest two more from Maharashtra; 289 job seekers duped of Rs 4.5 crore
MANGALURU: The CCB team of Mangaluru City Police has arrested two more persons from Maharashtra in connection with the visa scam involving Hireglow Elegant Overseas International (OPC) Private Limited, which allegedly defrauded nearly 289 overseas job aspirants. Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said the arrested accused are Dil Shaad Abdul Sathar Khan (45), a resident of Navi Mumbai, and Sahukari Kishore Kumar alias Anil Patel (34), from Dombivli, Thane. Earlier, another accused, Masiulla Atiulla Khan (36) from Mumbai, was arrested in connection with the overseas job recruitment scam reported at Mangaluru East Police Station in May. The accused had opened an office of Hireglow Elegant Overseas International (OPC) Private Limited at Bendoorwell in the city, promising overseas jobs. They allegedly collected nearly Rs 4.5 crore from around 289 people but failed to provide job visas as promised. A case has been registered under Sections 316(2), 318(4), read with 3(5) of the BNS, the Police Commissioner said. Dil Shaad Khan and Anil Patel were produced before court and have been remanded to police custody for further investigation. Meanwhile, Masiulla Atiulla Khan remains in judicial custody. It may be recalled that Lawrence D'Souza, President of the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Labourers' Cell, had earlier demanded a thorough probe into the scam, which affected job seekers from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and other parts of South India. He said many paid between Rs 1.85 lakh and Rs 5 lakh for job placements in countries such as New Zealand, Azerbaijan, and Singapore. Meanwhile, Avaneesh Shukla, Protector of Emigrants (POE) for Karnataka and Goa under the Ministry of External Affairs, visited Mangaluru after receiving credible information about unauthorised overseas job interviews. Following this, the City Police Commissioner suspended two officers with immediate effect for failing to take appropriate legal action against the firm.
