Assessment

Exam paper cyber attack investigation hits dead end

Two arrested stood down from bail as 'no further evidence'

Two arrested stood down from bail as 'no further evidence'

Police investigating a cyber attack at exam board AQA during last summer’s exams said there were “no further positive lines of enquiry” to pursue.

Surrey Police arrested an 18-year-old man from London and a 24-year-old woman from Birmingham on suspicion of computer misuse and fraud offences last year.

This followed a data breach at AQA, which is based at the University of Surrey, in June.

This week, Surrey Police said that, following a “thorough investigation, the current position is that there are no further positive lines of enquiry and no further evidence available to link the two people who were arrested to the allegation”.

A spokesperson added: “Should any new lines of enquiry come to light, these will be reviewed and investigated if appropriate.”

Both people had been stood down from bail and no further action will be taken against them at this time.

A separate investigation by Cambridgeshire Police into cyber attacks at exam boards OCR and Pearson is continuing.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of theft, fraud and computer misuse. He has been released under investigation.

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

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

Latest education roles from

Approvals Committee member (Educationalist)

Approvals Committee member (Educationalist)

Farriers Registration Council

Programme Manager (English and Maths)

Programme Manager (English and Maths)

CITB

Member of the Corporation Board (Governor)

Member of the Corporation Board (Governor)

Newham College London

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer

Learning Academies Trust

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

CPD Accreditation Among New Developments For The Inspiring Leadership Conference

As this year’s Inspiring Leadership Conference approaches, we highlight fives new initiatives and the core activities that make this...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Equity and agency for a changing world – how six core skills are transforming inclusive education

There is a familiar thread running through current government policy, curriculum reviews and public debate about education. We are...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Equitas: ASDAN’s new digital platform putting skills at the heart of learning

As schools and colleges continue to navigate increasingly complex learning needs, the demand for flexible, skills-focused provision has never...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Bett UK 2026: Learning without limits

Education is humanity’s greatest promise and our most urgent mission.

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

Assessment

Ofqual boss hears pupils’ confessions on AI

'It’s getting harder and harder to detect it,' warns Sir Ian Bauckham

Samantha Booth
Assessment

DfE wants to ditch ‘average’ labels for school progress scores

The current 'confidence interval' ratings can limit understanding of a school's performance, the government has said

Freddie Whittaker
Assessment

Photographers removed from GCSE assessment over website images

AQA deletes photographers' names from exam after images 'not appropriate for learners' found on their websites

Jack Dyson
Assessment

Ofqual boss ‘signals anxiety’ to DfE about AI in A-level coursework

Sir Ian Bauckham was questioned by MPs this morning on artificial intelligence risks, his new 'rebuke' powers and on-screen...

Samantha Booth

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

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