Hacker Targets Mobile Guardian Software, Erases Data for 13,000 Students
Breach Overview
In a significant cybersecurity breach, a hacker infiltrated Mobile Guardian, a widely used digital classroom management platform, and remotely wiped data from at least 13,000 students’ iPads and Chromebooks.
Platform Details
Mobile Guardian, a partner of ‘Google for Education’, offers comprehensive device management across multiple platforms including Android, Windows, iOS, ChromeOS, and macOS. The platform provides schools with tools for device management, parental monitoring, secure web filtering, classroom management, and communications.
Incident Discovery
On August 4, 2024, Mobile Guardian announced that it had suffered a security breach where a hacker gained unauthorized access to its platform. This breach impacted its services in North America, Europe, and Singapore. The incident was distinct from a previous IT outage caused by a misconfiguration on July 30, 2024.
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Impact on Devices
Due to the breach, a small percentage of iOS and ChromeOS devices were remotely wiped, although there is no evidence to suggest that any data was accessed or stolen. According to the platform’s announcement, “This incident resulted in a small percentage of devices being unenrolled from Mobile Guardian and their devices wiped remotely. There is no evidence to suggest that the perpetrator had access to users’ data.”
Service Suspension
As a precaution, Mobile Guardian has suspended its service, restricting user access to the platform. Students now have limited access to their devices.
Singapore’s Response
Despite Mobile Guardian’s claims of minimal impact, Singapore’s Ministry of Education reported that approximately 13,000 students from 26 secondary schools had their devices wiped. “MOE immediately registered strong concerns with mobile device management company Mobile Guardian,” stated a press release from the Ministry of Education. Their investigations confirmed a global cybersecurity incident affecting customers worldwide, including those in Singapore.
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Government Action
In response, the Singaporean government has removed the Mobile Guardian app from all student devices and is assisting in restoring affected devices.
Further Inquiries
BleepingComputer has reached out to Mobile Guardian for further details on the global impact, including the number of affected devices in North America and Europe, but has yet to receive a response.
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Source: bleepingcomputer.com
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