Florida has issued a warning to students regarding a recent data breach that compromised sensitive information belonging to nearly 5 million individuals who have applied for financial aid in the state. ### Breach Details and Exposed Information The **Florida Department of Education (FLDOE)** confirmed on Thursday that it became aware of an unauthorized intrusion into a system or database associated with the Florida Student Financial Aid website on October 19. The exposed data includes names, addresses, phone numbers, genders, email addresses, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth. In a public statement, the department noted: “An unauthorized party gained access to a system or database containing company or customer information.” The **FLDOE** is actively collaborating with the **Florida Digital Service** and the **Florida Department of Law Enforcement** to address the incident. ### Operational Impact and Student Aid Status Following the discovery, the **FLDOE** has temporarily taken down the financial aid website. Other departmental websites and services may also experience disruptions. Crucially, the department has reassured the public that student financial aid itself is not at risk, and the breach will not cause delays in aid disbursements, tuition payments, scholarships, grants, or student loans. ### Recommendations for Affected Individuals Those affected by the breach are strongly advised to monitor their credit reports and financial accounts for any suspicious or irregular activity. ### Ongoing Investigation and Broader Context The **FLDOE** has declined to provide further details regarding the nature of the incident or the identity of the attackers, stating only that the incident has been contained and reported to the **Office of the Attorney General**. This incident marks the second major government breach in Florida this year. Last month, the state’s **Department of Motor Vehicles** reported a data breach attributed to a prominent hacking group, with stolen data subsequently offered for sale on cybercriminal forums. Furthermore, this breach follows closely on the heels of California’s education department announcing its own breach involving all public school students over the last three years. In central Florida, **Seminole County** is also currently grappling with significant internet outages following an alleged cyberattack.