DfE cyber attack exposes 607,000 records

Hackers breached the United Kingdom — Department for Education (DfE) in England, accessing approximately 607,000 records containing contact details such as telephone numbers and email addresses of individuals and organizations. The attack targeted the DfE's online help desk and the Turing Scheme portal, which administers international education funding. The DfE stated that no bank details or other sensitive information were accessed, and the risk to affected individuals is considered low. The breach was reportedly contained quickly, and affected services are expected to resume normal operation later this week. The DfE is working with the United Kingdom — National Cyber Security Centre and the United Kingdom — National Crime Agency (NCA) to investigate, and has referred itself to the United Kingdom — Information Commissioner s Office (ICO). A group calling itself ExfilSquad has claimed responsibility and reportedly published some of the stolen data. The incident highlights the increasing frequency of cyber attacks on the education sector in the UK.