CDE notice: ETS data breach exposed California student records

What the notice says

The California Department of Education (CDE) says contractor Educational Testing Service (ETS) is notifying California students and families about a data security incident involving an ETS-managed file transfer site.

CDE states that ETS identified unauthorized activity on the system in late September 2026. An investigation found that a compromised credential was used over several months to copy files.

The notice says accessed data could include demographic and program details such as and disability, program eligibility, and assessment data, but states that more sensitive data categories were not involved.

What the notice leaves open

CDE's filing does not give a specific count of affected individuals, instead describing the scope broadly. The notice as filed does not explain how the login credential was obtained.