TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —
Florida’s Department of Education is investigating a data breach that exposed the personal information of nearly 5 million financial aid recipients, including Social Security numbers.
“It’s kind of scary because that’s a personal thing, and Social Security’s a really big deal, especially because we need financial aid,” said Hanna Hall, an FGCU student who is a financial aid borrower.
The department announced that unauthorized access to its financial aid website allowed sensitive information to be leaked online. When the site was taken down, users attempting to access their accounts were met with a message notifying them of the issue.
“Really scary because that’s personal information that could be used against us and definitely don’t want that out there,” said Cora Darling, another FGCU student on financial aid.
In a statement to Gulf Coast News, the Department of Education said, “The security of student and family information is a responsibility we take seriously. The Department acted swiftly to stop unauthorized access, contain the breach and secure its systems.”
Some Florida Gulf Coast University students expressed shock over the breach and questioned what other sensitive information might be at risk.
“I wish that we would at least get a warning because I’m just now hearing about this,” Hall said.
“As college students, like, we’re already like using a lot of our money, like trying to save and budget,” Darling said.
The Department of Education is urging individuals to monitor their credit scores and financial histories for any unusual activity that may have resulted from the breach.
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