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HighData breachupdated 30 Oct 2026, 16:08 UTC

Florida student aid website breach may expose 4.9 million people's Social Security numbers

Hackers got into a Florida state website used for student financial aid. Personal details, including Social Security numbers, may have been taken from about 4.9 million people.

2 independent sources
SeverityHighData breach
Being exploited?UnclearNo reports either way yet
What to doCheck exposurePlace a free credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus and monitor your credit reports for suspicious activity.
How sure is this?2 independent sourcesSeveral independent publishers agree

How the attack works simplified

  1. 1Unauthorized accessCriminals entered the aid website
  2. 2Data accessedRecords with personal information were reached
  3. 3Social Security numbersSensitive identifiers may be exposed
  4. 4Residents affectedAbout 4.9 million people potentially impacted
  5. ResultPersonal data may be used for identity theft

What happened

The Florida Department of Education reported unauthorized criminal access to the Florida Student Financial Aid website, which it discovered on October 19, potentially exposing personal data including Social Security numbers.

Why it is dangerous: Exposed Social Security numbers can be used for identity theft and fraud, such as opening accounts or filing false tax returns in victims' names. Anyone who applied for or was listed on Florida student financial aid through this site may be at risk.

Are you affected?

You are affected if you used the Florida Student Financial Aid website and had your personal information, including your Social Security number, stored on it.

Florida Student Financial Aid website (Florida Department of Education); approximately 4.9 million individuals

What to do

  1. Watch for official notices from the Florida Department of Education and follow their instructions
  2. Place a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to block new accounts in your name
  3. Check your bank and credit card statements and your credit reports for unfamiliar activity
  4. Be wary of unexpected emails, calls, or texts asking for personal details

Timeline

  1. 29 Oct 2026, 20:07 UTC
    Publicly disclosed
  2. 29 Oct 2026, 20:21 UTC
    Picked up by Zero Radar
  3. 30 Oct 2026, 15:54 UTC
    Reported by The Record · The Record
  4. 30 Oct 2026, 16:08 UTC
    DataBreaches.net reported on it · DataBreaches.net

Sources 2 reports, oldest first

Security press established security newsrooms

Technical details

ID
ZR-4bf94269 · ZR-3096f0b6
Disclosed
29 Oct 2026, 20:07 UTC
On Zero Radar
29 Oct 2026, 20:21 UTC (14 min after disclosure)
Last change
30 Oct 2026, 16:08 UTC

The plain-language parts and the attack diagram were written by an AI model (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5) from the sources above. Facts like versions, exploitation and dates come from the sources themselves. How Zero Radar works

Florida student aid website breach may expose 4.9 million people's Social Security numbers · Zero Radar