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37603058079122 Data Security Incident Information Updated 030826 08 45

customerhelp.education.gov.uk • August 4, 2026

Latest updates will be shared on this page as and when further information is available.

We recently identified a security issue on two digital services: the Turing Scheme portal and the Customer Help Portal. We took immediate steps to contain the incident and activate our incident response procedures.

2. When did the Department for Education become aware?

DfE were made aware after claims appeared over the weekend of 25/26 July. Once aware, we invoked our incident response procedures to establish the facts and investigate what had happened.

3. What information may have been affected?

The data involved only relates to individuals that have directly contacted the Department by using the Customer Help Portal online, or by using the Turing Scheme portal. No further data held by the Department is affected.

The following personal data is affected:

4. What is DfE doing this?

As a precaution, we have temporarily taken down our Customer Help Portal and Turing Scheme portal. The underlying vulnerability has now been identified, and we are working to implement a fix and undertake further assurance checks before we restore full access to the service.

In line with data protection legislation, a notification of this breach was submitted to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Protecting customer information remains our highest priority and we will continue to provide updates on this page as and when further information is available.

We apologise for the inconvenience and will provide updates to this document as more information becomes available.

5. What should I be aware of and how can I protect my information?

There are ways you can help protect your information:

Data breach guidance for individuals

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The full story

This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Data Breach Exposes Personal Information of 100,000 UK Police Officers on Dark Web A significant data breach has compromised the personal information of over 100,000 police officers in the UK, following a cyberattack on the Police National Legal Database (PNLD). The cybercriminal group ExfilSquad is believed to be responsible for this breach, which also affected data from the Ministry of Defence, the National Crime Agency (NCA), and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The leaked information includes names, work email addresses, and force affiliations of police staff. This incident follows a recent attack on the Department for Education, where over 600,000 records were exposed. The PNLD confirmed the breach on July 26 and is currently investigating the incident with cybersecurity experts. Authorities have stated that there is no evidence that passwords or authentication data were compromised. The leak poses serious risks to the safety of the affected officers, particularly those involved in organized crime investigations. 36 sources 67

Extracted Entities

37603058079122 Data Security Incident Information Updated 030826 08 45

The full story

Extracted Entities

Attack Types (1)

Companies (1)

Platforms (2)