Information pertaining to current and past Victorian government school students has been accessed in a data breach. On Wednesday afternoon, the Victorian Department of Education reported that an external third party gained access to student names, email addresses, school names, year levels, and encrypted passwords. The department stated that other personal data, including date of birth, phone number, or home address, was not accessed by the third party. Access to the information occurred via a school's network.
An Education Department spokesperson confirmed that the incident is under investigation. The spokesperson stated that student safety and privacy are priorities. The point of the breach has been identified, and safeguards have been implemented, including the temporary disabling of systems to prevent further data access. Efforts are underway with cyber experts, other government agencies, and schools to ensure the incident does not disrupt students at the start of the 2026 school year.
The spokesperson also indicated there is no evidence suggesting the accessed data has been publicly released or shared with additional third parties. An email from a Victorian government school, observed by the ABC, informed parents of the breach. This communication detailed the accessed data, actions taken to protect student data, and measures parents could implement regarding safety concerns.