Mobile Guardian Hack Leads to Data Wipe on Thousands of Student Devices
Unknown hackers have breached the Mobile Guardian platform, a Google for Education partner used worldwide to manage iPads and Chromebooks for students. Mobile Guardian is a cross-platform solution (Android, Windows, iOS, ChromeOS, macOS) for schools, offering device management, parental monitoring and controls, web filtering, classroom management, and communication tools.
According to Mobile Guardian representatives, the cyberattack occurred on August 4, 2024. The hackers gained unauthorized access to the platform, affecting users in North America, Europe, and Singapore. The company reports that a small percentage of iOS and ChromeOS devices were remotely wiped as a result of the breach, but there is no evidence of database access or data leaks. The motives of the attackers remain unknown.
“As a result of the incident, a small percentage of devices were disconnected from Mobile Guardian and remotely wiped. There is no evidence that the attackers accessed user data,” the company stated.
The service was temporarily suspended following the attack, preventing users from logging into Mobile Guardian and limiting students’ access to their devices.
13,000 Student Devices Wiped in Singapore
While Mobile Guardian claims that only a “small percentage of devices” were affected, Singapore’s Ministry of Education reported that the attackers used their access to completely wipe the iPads and Chromebooks of 13,000 students in the country. The exact number of affected devices is still unknown.
Aftermath of the attack in Singapore. Photo: Reddit
“The Ministry of Education expresses serious concern about the performance of Mobile Guardian, the company responsible for mobile device management,” the ministry said in a press release. “During the investigation, Mobile Guardian confirmed a global cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to its platform, affecting clients worldwide, including Singapore. Preliminary data indicates that about 13,000 Singaporean students from 26 schools had their devices remotely wiped by the attackers.”
Following the cyberattack, Singaporean authorities decided to remove the Mobile Guardian app from all educational devices in the country and are now assisting in restoring the affected devices.