Florida Education Data Breach May Have Exposed Social Security Numbers of 4.9 Million People

The Florida Department of Education disclosed on Oct. 29 that criminals gained unauthorized access to the Florida Student Financial Aid website, the portal at FloridaStudentFinancialAidSG.org used for state scholarships and grants including the lottery-funded Bright Futures program. The department said it became aware of the breach on Oct. 19, and that the compromised personally identifiable information included Social Security numbers; officials did not specify what other types of personal information may have been exposed.

The department said the breach may have impacted approximately 4.9 million individuals, a provisional figure still being verified, and that it believes the incident was limited to the financial aid website. According to the department's statements reported this week, it activated its cybersecurity response protocols, took action to stop the unauthorized activity and secure its systems, notified the Florida Attorney General's office, and is working with the Florida Digital Service and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The incident remains under criminal investigation.

For Tallahassee families and students, the department said current financial aid is not at risk: the incident will not delay financial aid disbursements or tuition payments, and it will not affect eligibility for scholarships, grants or student loans from the department. The department warned that some of its websites and services could experience temporary disruptions during the response, and directed questions to databreach@fldoe.org. No responsible actor, entry method or final affected count has been confirmed.