Education org breach exposes 67K people

Attackers have penetrated Select Education Group (SEG), a US-based postsecondary education company, taking the details of thousands.

SEG started contacting thousands of individuals impacted by the attack, which took place in early November 2023.

According to a breach notification letter that the company shared, a “sophisticated threat actor” managed to bypass its defenses and exfiltrate personal user details.

The cybercriminals, the letter informed, got hold of names, Social Security numbers, billing and payment records, and academic records.

“Upon discovering the situation, we promptly took these systems offline, notified law enforcement, and engaged cybersecurity experts to investigate,” the company said.

SEG’s note claims that impacted institutions include the Institute of Technology, National Holistic Institute, Bauman College, Fremont University, and Arch USA.

Meanwhile, the total number of impacted individuals exceeds 67,000.

Losing SSNs and personal identifiers poses significant risks, as impersonators can use the stolen data in tandem with names and driver’s license numbers for identity theft.

To help impacted individuals deal with possible cyber threats, SEG said it will provide victims with complimentary identity protection services via a third party.