According to a statement cited by Le Parisien, the breach stemmed from the identity theft of an authorized staff member’s account in late 2025. The compromised credentials enabled unauthorized access to the ministry’s student account management system.

“The investigations are ongoing to precisely determine the scope of the data involved,” the ministry said, noting that the exact number of affected students has not yet been established.

Authorities confirmed that the leaked information includes students’ first and last names, email addresses, school affiliations, class details, and their ÉduConnect identifiers. ÉduConnect is widely used across France as a centralized platform for accessing digital education services, either through direct login or via FranceConnect.

The latest breach is part of a growing pattern of cyberattacks targeting France’s education sector. In March 2026, the Compas platform—used for managing trainee teachers—was hacked, resulting in the exposure of personal data belonging to approximately 243,000 staff members.

In a separate incident on March 21, systems linked to the Secretary General of Catholic Education were also compromised, affecting around 1.5 million students, parents, and teachers.

The Ministry of National Education stated that both technical and judicial investigations are continuing to identify the perpetrators and assess the potential misuse of the stolen data. Officials have not yet disclosed whether the breach has been linked to any known cybercriminal groups or foreign actors.

The incident underscores increasing concerns over data protection and digital security within public institutions, particularly as education systems become more reliant on centralized online platforms. (ILKHA)