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Nearly 17,000 students hit by data leak at Hong Kong exams authority

Scmp • October 31, 2026

Authority apologises after system breach exposes birth dates and email addresses of mainland Chinese-based students

The personal data of nearly 17,000 students based in mainland China who applied to take two international exams through the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) has been leaked after its information system was compromised.

The authority said the leaked data included the names, dates of birth and email addresses of 16,900 students. It added that there was no evidence that the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) Examination or any other tests had been affected.

“The HKEAA apologises to the affected individuals and will take all feasible measures to minimise the impact of the incident on them,” it said.

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Data Breach Exposes Personal Info of Nearly 17,000 Mainland Exam Candidates The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) confirmed a cybersecurity breach affecting approximately 16,900 mainland Chinese students who registered for two international exams. The compromised data includes candidate names, dates of birth, and email addresses. The breach was discovered on October 30, 2026, and has been reported to the police and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data. HKEAA has apologized to those affected and is taking steps to mitigate the impact, including notifying affected candidates directly. The authority assured that major assessment systems, such as the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, remain unaffected. Technical teams are conducting a full security review to identify the breach's root cause and enhance monitoring protocols. 2 sources 39

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Nearly 17,000 students hit by data leak at Hong Kong exams authority

The full story

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