What information has been accessed
A Department of Education database with current and past student information was accessed by an external third-party.
The third-party accessed active and inactive past school student accounts, consisting of:
- student name
- school-issued email address and encrypted password (for those that use them)
- school name
- year level.
The third-party did not access other student data such as birth dates, home addresses, or phone numbers.
What’s happened to the accessed data?
There is no evidence to suggest that the data accessed has been released publicly or shared with other third parties.
Steps the Department of Education are taking:
- All student passwords have been reset. All students will be issued a new password at the start of the school year.
- The cause of this incident has been identified, and the department has put protections in place
- Contact is being made with parents and/or carers of all children impacted.
What organisations need to do:
- If a carer from your organisation has questions about the incident, you can refer them to the Department of Education’s dedicated phone line: 1800 338 663.