Teenager arrested in exam board cyber attack investigation

Police confirm 16-year-old boy has been arrested and bailed until later this year

Police confirm 16-year-old boy has been arrested and bailed until later this year

Police investigating exam board cyber attacks have arrested a 16-year-old boy. 

Earlier this term, FE Week revealed how Cambridgeshire Police were investigating a “data breach” involving exam boards Pearson and OCR

The boards had exam papers “extracted from their systems and sold online,” the force previously said. 

Police confirmed this week that a 16-year-old boy from Hertfordshire was arrested on July 4 on suspicion of theft, fraud by false representation and computer misuse. 

He has been released on bail until early October. 

Surrey Police is also investigating another allegation of fraud and computer misuse at England’s largest exam board, AQA.

No arrests have been made during its investigation, which is ongoing. 

The Joint Council for Qualifications – which represents exam boards – previously said that “every year, awarding organisations investigate potential breaches of security.

“When investigations are complete, sanctions, which may be severe, are taken against any individuals found to be involved.”

Latest education roles from

Chief Financial Officer – North Hertfordshire College

Chief Financial Officer – North Hertfordshire College

FEA

Head of Computing

Head of Computing

Lift Greensward

Head of English

Head of English

Lift Ryde

Business Development Manager 

Business Development Manager 

EducationScape

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Reducing resits and evidencing progress: a new approach to maths and English delivery

Across further education and apprenticeships, English and maths remain central to learner progression, employability and long-term opportunity.

Advertorial
Sponsored post

From Classroom to Catalyst: How Apprentices Are Driving Innovation in the Workplace

The economy is increasingly shaped by productivity challenges, skills reform and the urgent need for innovation led growth.

Advertorial
Sponsored post

What you missed in the post-16 consultation response

With the publication of the government’s response to the post-16 skills pathway consultation, there’s been lots of media outlets...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Apprenticeship reform: An opportunity to future‑proof skills and unlock career pathways

The apprenticeship landscape is undergoing one of its most significant transformations in decades, and that’s good news for learners,...

Advertorial

More from this theme

Awarding

Earpiece exam cheat ring jailed over construction test fraud

Men trained candidates to hide devices and exploit access arrangements to pass mandatory safety tests

Josh Mellor
Awarding, Teaching, Young people

Student AI confessions prompted rethink, says Bauckham

Ofqual to assess awarding orgs' AI cheating policies while chief commits to 'no easy' V Levels

Shane Chowen
Awarding

University-owned awarding org fined for ‘negligence’ by Ofqual

The regulator said failures to monitor a test centre put public confidence in exams at risk

Josh Mellor
Awarding

FAB elects Tim Bennett-Hart as next chair

He will succeed Charlotte Bosworth on February 10 - and will be joined by Kelle McQuade as vice chair

Billy Camden

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

One comment