cyber.hendryadrian.com
Cyber Attack & Data Breach · malwarebytes.com

Breach of ETS File-Transfer Site Exposes Sensitive Data of California Students

· Original article ↗

Summary

An unauthorized party used compromised login details to access an ETS-operated file-transfer site and copy California student data, including assessment and disability information. ETS and CDE are notifying affected families.

Key points

  • The attacker used compromised login details to access an ETS-operated secure file-transfer site and copy student files.
  • The access and copying occurred at various times between May 22 and September 18; the article does not specify the year.
  • Exposed information may include names, Statewide Student Identifiers, birth dates, addresses, demographic details, disability and program participation information, and assessment data.
  • The California Department of Education says all students enrolled during the previous three school years were affected, but the affected population may be broader.
  • The CDE says Social Security numbers, financial account information, passwords, and parent or guardian information were not involved.
  • ETS says it has found no evidence so far that the stolen information was made public.
  • ETS is notifying affected students and families and offering two years of identity-protection services.

Article Details

Victim Organization
Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Incident Type
Unauthorized access to an ETS-operated SFTP site using compromised login details, followed by copying of student information files.
Data Types Exposed
  • Student names
  • Statewide Student Identifiers (SSIDs)
  • Dates of birth
  • Home addresses
  • Demographic information
  • Disability and program participation information
  • Statewide assessment information, including test scores
Affected Records
Not disclosed. The CDE reports over 5.7 million students enrolled in California public schools during the 2025–2026 school year, but does not identify this as the number affected.
Operational Impact
The article reports no operational disruption.
Ransom Or Extortion
No ransom or extortion activity is reported. ETS says it has found no evidence so far that the stolen information was made public.
Claim Status
confirmed

Vendors

Educational Testing Service (ETS)Personal information belonging to millions of current and former California public school students has been stolen from a system operated by Educational Testing Service (ETS).

Industries

Educationthat helps run the state’s standardized tests under contract with the California Department of Education (CDE). It has begun notifying students and families after an unauthorized party accessed and copied

Related Articles