Personal data on present and previous California public school students was copied from a file transfer system belonging to Educational Testing Service (ETS) as per the California Department of Education (CDE).

The data breach affects many more than the state’s present 5.7 million public school students as the breach dates back to 2023 enrolments. Note that students who left the state but did not confirm their transfer to another school also were affected, dating back to 2006.

Compromised records can include data such as student name, birth date, home address, school, district and grade, state and local ID numbers, gender, race or ethnicity, primary language, country of origin and English learner status.

Some entries reveal disability and Section 504 status, the primary disability type, testing accommodations, English proficiency data, and test registration and results. They may also indicate whether a student qualifies for Title I, McKinney-Vento or military-connected student designations.

As per sources the files did not contain Social Security numbers, passwords, or financial account or payment card details. Data on parents and guardians was not involved either.

ETS detected the hack on Sept. 25. A subsequent probe found that “an unauthorized party used a compromised login credential to access the site and copy files containing California student information at various times between May 22 and September 18, 2026,” as per information posted by the California Department of Education.

SOURCES:-

https://www.securityweek.com/one-compromised-login-exposed-millions-of-california-students-records/

https://www.edweek.org/technology/hackers-steal-personal-data-of-millions-of-california-students-in-massive-breach/2026/10

https://hoodline.com/2026/10/hackers-lurked-in-california-student-testing-files-for-months-millions-exposed/

https://education.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/california-student-data-breach-exposes-records-of-millions-including-disability-status/135014760

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/data-breaches/2026/10/millions-of-california-students-sensitive-data-stolen-in-breach