The International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programme body has confirmed that it was hacked, but reassured the public that no exam papers were leaked in the midst of a cheating scandal.
According to the IB, there has been an increase in malicious activity targeting its computer systems, with some data from 2018 being accessed through a third-party vendor. However, the IB made it clear that no exam material has been compromised at this time.
In response to the incident, the exam body has pledged to assess the situation and take all necessary steps to contain the breach. The two-year IB diploma programme is a widely recognized university entrance qualification taken by almost 180,000 students globally each year.
A group known as “vx-underground” claimed on X that one or more unknown threat actors had compromised the IB. The group stated that their goal is to have exams cancelled, but no official statement has been made by any threat actor regarding this.
After news of cheating surfaced, an online petition with over 4,200 signatures has urged the IB to cancel this year’s exams or ensure justice for students who did not access leaked materials. The IB has already taken measures to remove online posts containing leaked exam questions.
While the exact number of students caught cheating has not been disclosed, leaked materials have been downloaded over 47,000 times as of Monday afternoon. Cheaters will receive no marks for their exams or grades for the relevant subject, as warned by the IB.
Last year, 2,275 pupils sat IB exams in Hong Kong, slightly up from the previous year. The IB is working to improve security measures for future exams and promote a culture of academic integrity among students.