NSW Department of Education
Summary
The NSW Department of Education suffered a cyber attack in July 2021 that forced the department to take its networks offline. Attackers exploited an unknown vulnerability in the department's systems, gaining access to personal information. The incident disrupted operations across Australia's largest school system.
What Happened
On July 8, 2021, the NSW Department of Education detected a cybersecurity incident affecting its networks. The department immediately took systems offline as a precautionary measure while cybersecurity experts investigated the breach.
The attackers had exploited a previously unknown vulnerability (zero-day) in the department's systems. This gave them unauthorised access to department networks before the vulnerability could be identified and patched.
Investigation confirmed that personal information was accessed during the breach, though the department did not initially disclose the full scope of compromised data. The department engaged the Australian Cyber Security Centre and external cybersecurity experts to respond to the incident.
Impact on Individuals
The breach potentially affected staff, students, and parents across the NSW public education system - the largest school system in Australia. The department later confirmed that personal information was accessed, requiring notification to affected individuals under privacy law obligations.
Impact included:
- Operational disruption: Department networks offline, affecting communication and administrative systems
- Personal data exposure: Email addresses and other personal information accessed by attackers
- Uncertainty: Delayed notification meant affected individuals did not know immediately if their data was compromised
Organisational Response
The NSW Department of Education took immediate action to isolate affected systems and prevent further unauthorised access. The department worked with the Australian Cyber Security Centre and engaged specialist cyber security firms to investigate the incident and remediate vulnerabilities.
The department implemented enhanced security measures following the attack and conducted a comprehensive review of its cybersecurity posture. Affected individuals were notified once the investigation determined whose personal information had been accessed.
The incident highlighted the cybersecurity challenges facing large government education systems with extensive networks, numerous users, and diverse systems.