Personal information, including Social Security numbers, of as many as 4.9 million people was vulnerable in a data breach at the Florida Department of Education, the agency announced Thursday.
The department said it learned of the breach of its financial aid website on Oct. 19 and classified it as “unauthorized criminal access.” In a news release, the agency said an unauthorized party gained access to a system containing company or customer information. Officials said they believe the incident was limited to the Florida Student Financial Aid website.
The department said financial aid itself is not at risk, including disbursements. When a reporter asked how long the breach lasted, the agency said it acted quickly to stop the access and contain the breach, and that it is working with state partners to determine the full scope. The financial aid website was showing a maintenance page Thursday afternoon.
The department recommends that people monitor financial and online accounts, review statements and credit reports, and consider a fraud alert or credit freeze with the major credit bureaus. Residents can get free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. Questions can be sent to databreach@fldoe.org.
