The UK's Department for Education (DfE) confirmed a significant data breach, with hackers accessing over 600,000 records containing sensitive information, according to IT Pro.
The breach, claimed by the ExfilSquad hacking group, exposed names, job titles, and phone numbers of head teachers, university staff, and government officials. The data was accessed through the DfE's Help Desk Self-Service Portal and the Turing Scheme Portal. While the DfE states the risk to individuals is low and that the breached data cannot be connected, cybersecurity experts warn that this information is a high-value target for spear-phishing campaigns.
The education sector is increasingly targeted globally, with the UK's education industry being the most frequently targeted in June. This incident, following other public sector breaches, highlights the vulnerability of help desk and third-party support systems, prompting calls for a wider review of sensitive data storage and monitoring across government IT estates. The DfE is working with the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency to address the incident.
Source: IT Pro
Kelley Damore is Chief Content Officer at CyberRisk Alliance, where she leads content strategy across the company’s digital brands, research, communities and live events serving CISOs and security practitioners. At CyberRisk Alliance, she is focused on delivering 365-day engagement, trusted journalism and actionable insights to help security leaders navigate an increasingly complex threat landscape.
Kelley Damore is Chief Content Officer at CyberRisk Alliance, where she leads content strategy across the company’s digital brands, research, communities and live events serving CISOs and security practitioners. At CyberRisk Alliance, she is focused on delivering 365-day engagement, trusted journalism and actionable insights to help security leaders navigate an increasingly complex threat landscape.
An error occurred trying to play the stream. Please reload the page and try again.
CloseRegistering with SC Media is 100% free. Join tens of thousands of cybersecurity leaders today and gain access to the latest analysis shaping the global infosec agenda.
