Incident Details
An inquiry is being conducted by the data protection authority regarding allegations of a security breach on the Class Charts platform, which is utilized by a large number of teachers. Some parents reported accessing Class Charts last week and viewing information belonging to other students. The Information Commissioner’s Office confirmed that a report of a data breach concerning Class Charts has been received and is currently under evaluation. A spokesperson for the ICO mentioned, 'Individuals who have concerns regarding the handling of their information can contact the ICO or refer to our website for assistance and support.' According to its website, Class Charts is utilized by over 180,000 teachers. The platform claims to streamline tasks for teachers with detailed seating plans and enhance student behavior through efficient behavior management techniques. Requests for comments from Class Charts, a product of Tes Global Limited, were left unanswered.
Incident
How Did the Breach Happen?
According to reports, when parents accessed Class Charts, they were able to view information about children other than their own.
What Data has been Compromised?
Information about additional students within the Class Charts system.
Why Did the company's Security Measures Fail?
The security precautions implemented by the company were unsuccessful in stopping unauthorized individuals from gaining access to the data.
What Immediate Impact Did the Breach Have on the company?
After the breach occurred, there were instances of parents coming across information about children from different schools. The company promptly took steps to address the situation and initiated inquiries.
How could this have been prevented?
Stronger security measures and controls could have avoided the breach by deterring unauthorized access to the data.
What have we learned from this data breach?
The significance of having strong security protocols in place to safeguard sensitive information is underscored by this breach.
Summary of Coverage
Information about a security incident on the Class Charts platform, which is utilized by numerous educators, resulted in parents gaining access to data concerning students other than their own. The breach is currently under scrutiny by the Information Commissioner’s Office, and Class Charts, a subsidiary of Tes Global Limited, promptly implemented measures to rectify the situation.