Exams

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, Schools 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

Director of Education

Director of Education

Chartered College of Teaching

Director of Finance

Director of Finance

Inspire Learning Partnership

Lead Practitioner in Maths

Lead Practitioner in Maths

Bolton College

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer

Brooke Weston Trust

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Six tips for improving teaching and learning for vocabulary and maths

The more targeted the learning activity to a student’s ability level, the more impactful it will be.

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

From lesson plans to financial plans: Helping teachers prepare for the Autumn budget and beyond

Specialist Financial Adviser, William Adams, from Wesleyan Financial Services explains why financial planning will be key to preparing for...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

IncludEd Conference: Get Inclusion Ready

As we all clamber to make sense of the new Ofsted framework, it can be hard to know where...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Helping every learner use AI responsibly

AI didn’t wait to be invited into the classroom. It burst in mid-lesson. Across UK schools, pupils are already...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

Exams

New British Sign Language GCSE rules confirmed, but will exam boards offer it?

Charities welcome 'landmark' step in establishing British Sign Language GCSE, but next step rests with exam boards

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Exams

Ofqual to publicly ‘rebuke’ rule-breaking exam boards

The regulator says the new punishment will help it take a more 'agile' approach

Josh Mellor
Exams

Skills white paper to confirm V-levels and GCSE re-sit ‘stepping stones’

New vocational courses will be the size of an A-level and replace existing alternatives to T-levels

Freddie Whittaker
Exams

Cyber-attacks, exam fees and digital vision…meet the new head of Cambridge OCR

Myles McGinley talks to Schools Week about his hopes for the future of curriculum and assessment

Freddie Whittaker