Cyber breach hits education sector as 505 staff credentials leaked on Dark Web

The credentials of a total of 505 employees of the public education sector institutions in the country have been discovered on the dark web, the National Cyber Security Emergency Response Team (CERT-GH) has disclosed.

In a blog post sighted by GhanaEducation.org, the National Cyber Security Emergency Response Team (CERT-GH) said its ongoing surveillance since January has uncovered more than 5,000 stolen login records commonly known as stealer logs, with over 1,000 of them already sold online to cybercriminals.

Speaking at a National Cybersecurity Awareness Month event held in Accra, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, described the worrying incident as a wake-up call for the education sector.

In a speech read on the Education Minister’s behalf by Professor Diyawu Mumin at the National Cybersecurity Awareness event, he said the breach exposes the increasing vulnerability of educational institutions to sophisticated cyberattacks.

“The education sector stores and manages vast amounts of sensitive personal and institutional data, making it an attractive target for hackers,” the Minister noted. He warned that rising cases of data theft, sextortion, and online scams were threatening public confidence in digital education systems.

In response, the Ministry of Education said it is reviewing its ICT in Education Policy to incorporate robust cybersecurity measures and plans to establish an Education Sector Computer Emergency Response Team (EduCERT) to prevent and respond to future attacks.

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, referencing Microsoft’s October 2024 cybersecurity report, said the education sector remains vulnerable to cyberattacks due to the volume of sensitive data it handles.

Mr Iddrisu said the Ministry was working with the CSA to establish an education sector Computer Emergency Response Team to detect, coordinate, and respond to cyber incidents within the sector.

The Education Minister warned that cyber bleeding, admission fraud, and attempts to manipulate grades or forge certificates undermined trust, damaged lives, and threatened the credibility of the educational system.

“We are committed to creating an educational system for students with cybersecurity awareness and digital rights literacy and securing the digital infrastructure of our institution,” he said.

He therefore has urged the government to prioritise and enhance security measures across educational institutions, adding that the Ministry of Education is reviewing its ICT in education policy to promote a digitally inclusive and safe learning environment.

Mr Iddrisu also called for the integration of cybersecurity principles into digital lending to enhance safety and trust and highlighted the Ministry’s partnership with GTEC to establish a national cybersecurity competency and qualification framework.

“Our vision as a Ministry is for every student, regardless of discipline, whether in business, nursing, engineering or arts, to graduate with a grounding in cybersecurity and data ethics,” he said.