Cyberattack on UK software developer causes data breach affecting thousands of education staff
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A cyberattack on Hull-based software development company Intradev Limited has triggered a cascading data breach affecting thousands of UK education sector employees.
Intradev Limited detected unauthorized malicious activity within its systems on August 4, 2024. The company has reported the incident to relevant authorities, including the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and Action Fraud, and continues to cooperate with ongoing investigations.
The incident exposed sensitive personal information of education professionals through Intradev's client relationships with Access Personal Checking Services (APCS) and Single Central Record Ltd (OnlineSCR), both critical service providers for the education sector.
APCS, which serves over 19,000 organizations across healthcare, finance, and child safeguarding sectors, provides Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for employers. OnlineSCR specializes in recruitment and DBS checks specifically for UK schools, making it a repository for highly sensitive staff information including background check details.
One of the most significantly affected organizations is Affinity Learning Partnership, a major UK education trust that operates seven schools and employs more than 650 staff members. The trust's schools educate approximately 3,000 children and young people aged 3 to 19.
Exposed data includes:
- Names and surnames
- Addresses (home and email)
- Dates of birth
- National Insurance numbers
- Passport numbers and details
- Driving license numbers and details
- QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) numbers
- Phone numbers
- Places of birth
- Gender information
- IP addresses
The nature of the attack and the number of affected individuals has not been disclosed.
The ICO has confirmed that it is investigating the matter after Intradev self-reported the incident. Affected organizations had to file separate reports with regulatory authorities and implement immediate protective measures for their staff and service users.
