Unauthorized access detected Oct. 19
The Florida Department of Education said unauthorized criminal access to its Florida Student Financial Aid website may have exposed personal information belonging to about 4.9 million people. The department disclosed the incident after detecting the activity on Oct. 19.
The website, FloridaStudentFinancialAidSG.org, is used to manage financial aid applications. The department said it activated its cybersecurity response procedures, worked to stop the unauthorized activity and took steps to contain the incident and secure its systems. It believes the incident was limited to that website, but the investigation is continuing.
The potential exposure involves applicants who previously sought financial aid in Florida. The department said the data involved may differ from person to person, and that not everyone was necessarily affected. The information that may have been exposed includes:
- Social Security numbers;
- First and last names;
- Dates of birth;
- Home addresses and phone numbers, including mobile numbers;
- Email addresses; and
- Gender identification codes listed as M or F.
The figure of 4.9 million represents people who may have been affected, not a confirmed count of people whose information was accessed or who have experienced identity theft. The department said authorities have been notified and described the matter as an ongoing criminal investigation.
Financial aid payments are not affected, department says
The department said the breach does not put current financial aid at risk. It also said the incident will not delay financial aid disbursements or tuition payments from the Florida Department of Education, and will not change eligibility for the department’s scholarships, grants or student loans.
| Issue | Information reported by the department |
|---|---|
| Incident discovered | Oct. 19 |
| Potentially affected | About 4.9 million people |
| Suspected scope | Florida Student Financial Aid website |
| Current aid | Payments, disbursements and eligibility are not affected |
The Florida Department of Education said it submitted the required breach notice to the state attorney general under Section 501.171 of Florida law. It is working with the Florida Digital Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Some websites and online services may have temporary disruptions while the department restores full functionality.
“out of an abundance of caution” — Florida Department of Education, describing its recommendation that people who previously applied for financial aid monitor their credit reports and financial accounts.
The department encouraged people who previously applied for Florida financial aid to monitor their credit reports and financial accounts for unfamiliar activity. A credit report records information about borrowing and payment accounts and can show accounts or applications that a consumer does not recognize. The department also directed consumers to obtain free credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com, the authorized portal for reports from the three major U.S. credit bureaus.
The department said the specific information involved may vary by person. It has not said that every person whose information was stored on the website had all of the listed data exposed. The criminal investigation and review of the affected records remain underway.
