Hackers obtained about 607,000 records during a cyber-attack on the Department for Education in England, BBC News reported.
The department said the information involved was limited to customer service contact details connected to individuals and organisations, including phone numbers and email addresses. It said bank details and other sensitive information were not accessed.
The DfE said it had acted quickly to contain the incident and was working with the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency. It has also referred itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
The department stressed that the 607,000 figure refers to the number of records affected, rather than the number of individuals.
The Turing Scheme portal, which supports funding for international education, and the DfE online help desk were affected by the incident. They are expected to return to normal operation later this week.
An NCA spokesperson said the agency was aware of the incident and was working with partners to establish the circumstances and impact.
According to the government’s latest Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 24% of further education institutions reported experiencing a breach or attack at least weekly, while more than half of schools reported an attack or breach in the past year.
