A hacker accessed personal information belonging to millions of California students by exploiting a system operated by Educational Testing Service (ETS), a non-profit organization that works with the state, the California Department of Education said on Friday.
The compromised records included students’ names, dates of birth, addresses and disability status. The breach affected students enrolled during the three academic years preceding the incident, according to the department. More than 5.7 million students were enrolled in California schools in the 2025–2026 school year alone.
ETS began notifying students and their families on Friday. The breach was identified on 25 September, but investigators determined that the unauthorized access had been taking place since May.
According to the California Department of Education, an attacker used a compromised login credential to access a secure file transfer protocol site and copy files containing student information on multiple occasions between 22 May and 18 September 2026.
The department said ETS had not found evidence that the stolen information had been made public. Social Security numbers and sensitive financial information were not accessed, it added.
In a letter dated 2 October to county and school district officials, the department said ETS had halted its normal processing of student enrolment data following the breach.
The agency said it was working to limit disruption and restore affected assessment activities as quickly as possible.
ETS administers several statewide assessments in California, including tests measuring English language proficiency.
In a statement, the organization said it had introduced additional security measures, including enhanced monitoring, stronger access controls and further independent reviews of its security practices.
‘Our priority remains the students, families and educators we serve and safeguarding the assessment programs we deliver for our clients and partners globally,’ ETS said.
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