Serbian Ministry of Education denies data breach of 83,000 student records

A potential data breach has targeted a Serbian government portal used for applying for student loans and scholarships for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 school years. Reports from the forum ‘Bezbedan Balkan’ suggest that a group calling itself the ‘Albanian Electronic Army’ has released a data package allegedly containing information on approximately 83,000 individuals, including 52,508 pupils and 30,376 students.

The leaked data reportedly includes usernames, application forms, and various certificates, potentially compromising the personal information of minors and their parents. The leaked documents may include application forms, loan and scholarship contracts, and certificates regarding family income.

The Ministry of Education has responded to these claims, stating that all data stored within the system remains completely secure and has not been altered by unauthorized persons. The Ministry noted that upon learning of the potential attack, immediate technical measures were implemented to prevent any data leakage. This incident marks the first reported suspicion of a compromise affecting all systems managed by the Ministry.