Florida education site breach exposes 5 million records

Nearly 5 million people may have had their Social Security numbers exposed after the Florida Department of Education detected a breach on its financial aid website. Officials confirmed the intrusion last Monday. The department says the incident likely affected student data.

At the same time, the Seminole County Clerk of Courts reported a separate breach impacting its phone systems and website. As a precaution, the office severed outside internet access to investigate. The clerk’s office stated that it found no ransomware and no compromised information during the initial review.

A cybersecurity expert noted that such incidents are now common, stating that almost everyone has been a victim. The expert explained that cutting internet access can stop attackers from sending further commands. ThreatLocker attributes many cyber threats to phishing, misconfigurations, or stolen login credentials.

The expert warned that scammers might exploit the education breach to send convincing emails. These messages may ask users to update account information and direct them to fake websites. Affected individuals should consider freezing their credit with major bureaus and remain vigilant for phishing attempts.

For general protection, the expert recommended a Zero Trust approach. This method denies access by default and allows it only by exception. The Florida Department of Education is continuing its review of the financial aid site incident.