DATA SECURITY: Recent K-12 Data Breaches Show That Students Are Vulnerable to Harm
GAO-20-644: Published: Sep 15, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 15, 2020.
Schools and school districts collect and store a lot of personal information about their students. But are K-12 institutions adequately securing student data? We found:
Thousands of K-12 students had their personal information compromised in data breaches between 2016 and 2020
Compromised data included grades, bullying reports, and Social Security numbers—leaving students vulnerable to emotional, physical, and financial harm
Breaches were accidental and intentional—with a variety of responsible actors and motives
Wealthier, larger, and suburban school districts were more likely to have a reported breach.
Reported K-12 Student Data Breaches (July 2016-May 2020): Who was Responsible?
