Northern Ireland School Records May Be Exposed: What Parents Should Do

The Education Authority in Northern Ireland recently sent letters to parents at 23 schools. These letters warned that a cyber attack may have exposed their children's personal information. The attack was larger than officials initially thought, affecting more schools than originally reported.

If your child attends a school in Northern Ireland, you may have received a letter from the Education Authority. The letter would inform you if your child's personal data may have been accessed during this attack. Not all schools in Northern Ireland were affected, only those whose parents received notification letters.

1. Read the letter carefully to understand what specific information about your child may have been exposed.
2. Watch for any suspicious emails, texts, or phone calls asking for information about your child or family.
3. Talk to your child about not sharing personal information with strangers, especially online or over the phone.
4. Contact your child's school directly if you have questions or concerns about what information was stored. To protect your family going forward, be cautious about any unexpected contact claiming to be from your child's school. Always verify by calling the school directly using a phone number you look up yourself, not one provided in an email or text. Keep an eye on any accounts or services connected to your child's school records. Teach your children that real schools and officials will never ask for passwords or sensitive information through email or text messages.