Applied for College Aid in Florida? A Breach of the State’s Student Aid Website May Have Exposed Social Security Numbers for 4.9 Million People
The Florida Department of Education says criminals gained access to its student financial aid website, potentially exposing names, Social Security numbers and contact details for about 4.9 million people. Here are answers to the main questions and what employers should tell their staff.
The Florida Department of Education announced on Thursday that its student financial aid website was breached and that personal information for about 4.9 million people may have been exposed. That number reaches well beyond current students. Parents, former students and many working adults across Florida have used the site over the years.
The answers below are based on CBS12’s report and the department’s official breach notice.
What happened?
On October 19, department staff became aware of unauthorized criminal access to the Florida Student Financial Aid website. The department publicly announced the breach on October 29.
How many people are affected?
About 4.9 million individuals may be affected. The department notes that not every person in that group necessarily had all of the listed information exposed, and that what was involved varies from person to person.
What information may have been exposed?
- Social Security numbers
- First and last names
- Dates of birth
- Home addresses
- Phone numbers, including mobile numbers
- Email addresses
- Gender codes
Is financial aid itself affected?
According to the department, no. Current student financial aid, disbursements, tuition payments and eligibility have not been affected. The department has warned that some of its websites may see temporary disruptions while the response continues.
Who is investigating?
The department is working with the Florida Digital Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the criminal investigation is ongoing. It has also notified the Florida Attorney General’s office, as state law requires. Officials have not said how the intruders got in or who may be responsible.
What should people do now?
- Watch bank, credit card and other financial accounts for activity you do not recognize.
- Get free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and look for accounts you did not open.
- Consider a fraud alert or a credit freeze with the three credit bureaus, which makes it harder for someone to open credit in your name.
- If you see signs of identity theft, report it at IdentityTheft.gov.
- Be suspicious of calls, texts and emails that mention the breach or student aid and ask for personal information or payment.
What this means for your company
Even if your business has nothing to do with education, some of your employees are probably in this data set, and a breach this size is a gift to scammers. Expect phishing and phone scams that use real names, addresses and birth dates to sound convincing. A short note to staff about what was exposed, how to freeze their credit and how to report suspicious messages costs little and helps protect your company too, since a convincing lure aimed at an employee’s personal life can lead to a work account.
Would a short, plain-language scam awareness refresher help your team after news like this? Reach out to Layer 7 Data Solutions to discuss how we’ve helped companies similar to yours.
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