Teen arrested over cyberattack on Vaud schools’ IT platform

A 16-year-old was arrested after an attack exposed a school IT platform used across Vaud. The system serves about 38,000 pupils and 3,500 teachers, who use it to report technical problems. Vaud cantonal police said the teenager allegedly gained unauthorised access between October 23 and 26. Investigators identified the suspected perpetrator quickly, questioned the teenager and seized IT equipment. The arrest brings a criminal investigation into an incident affecting a platform used by tens of thousands of people in the canton. The cantonal education authority discovered the access on October 26 and immediately took the platform offline. Authorities informed those affected and warned them to be alert for fraudulent messages. Police have filed a criminal complaint, and the Youth Court is conducting the investigation.

The platform held contact details and support requests, not academic records. It contained users’ names, school email addresses and messages asking for technical help. Authorities said passwords, school marks and pupil records were not stored on the system. Its purpose was practical: pupils and teachers used it to report IT problems. That role connected the platform to about 38,000 pupils and 3,500 teachers across Vaud. Police say the unauthorised access took place over four days, from October 23 to 26. The education authority discovered the attack on the final day and took the service offline immediately. Authorities notified those affected and cautioned them about potential fraudulent messages, a warning tied to the contact information held by the platform.

Investigators are examining whether any data was downloaded or passed to others. Vaud police said it was initially unclear whether the teenager had taken data or shared it with third parties. Cyber investigators from the Vaud Criminal Investigation Department are focusing on those questions as part of the inquiry. After identifying the suspect, police questioned the 16-year-old and seized IT equipment. The teenager was released after questioning. The Youth Court is conducting the criminal investigation, and authorities have filed a criminal complaint. These steps follow the canton’s discovery of the incident on October 26, when the education authority shut down the platform. Authorities also informed affected users and warned them about possible fraudulent messages connected to the information held in the system.

Authorities have warned affected users to watch for fraudulent messages. The platform included names, school email addresses and requests for technical support, and officials notified the people affected after taking the service offline. The warning gives pupils, teachers and school communities a concrete step while investigators establish whether information was downloaded or shared. Police have seized the teenager’s IT equipment, and Vaud cyber investigators are examining the case under the Youth Court’s criminal investigation. The incident began with access between October 23 and 26 and was detected by the cantonal education authority on October 26. The platform’s broad use across Vaud means the investigation concerns a system serving thousands of pupils and teachers, even though it was designed for reporting IT problems rather than storing school marks or pupil records.