Cyberattacks | Data breaches

California Student Data Breach Hits Millions After Testing Company Hack

Over four months, an attacker with a stolen login copied records on millions of California public school students from a testing contractor.

By Content Team

Oct 21, 2026

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An attacker copied personal data on millions of California public school students from Educational Testing Service (ETS), the state’s testing contractor. Using a stolen login, the intruder accessed an ETS file transfer site at various times between May 22 and September 18, before ETS spotted the activity on September 25.

The breach covers all students enrolled in the past three school years, and possibly more; over 5.7 million were enrolled this year alone. Records include names, birthdates, addresses, student IDs, race, disability status, and assessment results. Social Security numbers, financial data, and parent information were not involved, and ETS has found no sign the data has been published.

ETS is offering two years of free Experian identity protection, with enrollment open until March 19, 2027. Notices to families began October 16 and run through early November. State education officials are also reviewing whether ETS met its data security and contract requirements.

Source: CBS News San Francisco

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