Data Breach Affecting All Students in California
what cde told california schools
what cde told california schools![]()
what cde told california schools
A statewide data security breach involving a contractor for the California Department of Education (CDE) may have exposed sensitive student information. State officials have released guidance for families, including information about free identity-protection services. Affected families are being notified, and free identity-protection services are available.
The data breach incident involved Educational Testing Service (ETS), a company contracted by the California Department of Education to support the administration of statewide student assessments, including tests in English language arts and mathematics.
According to state officials, an unauthorized party accessed an ETS-operated system and copied files containing student information, including records dating back to the 2023-24 school year.
The contractor (ETS) provides assessment services for public schools throughout California. That means students across the state, including students in Contra Costa County, may have been affected by the breach.
FAQ About Incident
FAQ About Incident![]()
Was My Student's Data Compromised?
We understand that this incident raises concerns about student privacy. Protecting student information is a priority. Educational Testing Service (ETS) is notifying affected individuals and providing identity-protection services, while the CDE and state partners continue to assess the incident and support affected students and families.
Additional information the state has shared with us:
- The information involved California students and may include students enrolled during the three previous school years.
- Depending on the individual it may have included things like student names, dates of birth, addresses, school, student identification numbers, demographic information, disability or Section 504 status, and more.
- They cannot confirm whether a specific student was affected. School districts have no ability to confirm this.
- According to CDE, the information accessed did not include Social Security numbers, driver's license or passport numbers, financial account or credit/debit card information, account passwords, or parent/guardian personal information.
How Is This Being Handled?
The state has told us that:
- ETS will be notifying affected current and former students and providing two years of complimentary identity-protection services through Experian IdentityWorks.
- ETS took the affected system offline, initiated an investigation with external cybersecurity experts and added enhanced security measures.
- As of the CDE’s October 16th update, ETS reported that they have not uncovered evidence that the information has been made public. They continue to assess the incident and its effects on California students and families.
CDE Contact Information & Resources
The California Department of Education has established a dedicated information page with answers to frequently asked questions, official notifications and updates about the investigation.
Families with questions about the incident or available identity-protection services can call 833-931-8488, Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time.
- CDE incident information and FAQs:https://www.cde.ca.gov/ets
- ETS Notice of Data Breach:https://www.cde.ca.gov/ets-notice (available in 27 languages, and includes information about identity-protection services and instructions on how to enroll in what is being provided. If you have questions about this incident, you can also call ETS at 833-931-8488.
For additional questions
If you have more questions about the incident and/or the identity-protection option being provided, you can send an email to: SecurityIncident@cde.ca.gov.
