Florida education site breach may expose 5 million Social Security numbers
Seminole County courts cut internet access while the state education department investigates a separate incident affecting student aid records.
By Marcus Reed ·
Nearly 5 million people may have had their Social Security numbers exposed in a data breach at the Florida Department of Education. The department confirmed the incident on Thursday, noting it affects its financial aid website.
The breach was discovered last Monday. Officials said the compromised data includes student information. They did not specify exactly how the attacker gained access to the system.
In a separate event, the Seminole County Clerk of Courts reported a breach affecting its phone systems and website. The office disconnected its external internet connection to investigate the intrusion.
The clerk's office stated it found no ransomware and no evidence that information was stolen. The shutdown serves as a precaution to stop an attacker from sending further commands, according to a cybersecurity expert.
The expert warned that scammers might use the education breach to send phishing emails. These messages would ask victims to update account details and link them to fake websites.
To reduce risk, the expert advised affected individuals to freeze their credit with major bureaus. The expert also recommended a Zero Trust security approach for all users, which denies access by default and grants it only by exception.
Source: WKMG-TV
