Brinztech Alert: The Alleged Data of Azerbaijani Students are on Sale

Dark Web News Analysis

The dark web news reports a highly sensitive data sale targeting the education sector in Azerbaijan. A threat actor on a hacker forum is offering a dataset allegedly containing 830,000 lines of student data, directing interested buyers to communicate via Telegram.

The compromised fields are extensive and specific to the educational infrastructure: UTIS Code (Unified Training Information System ID), Phone Number, First and Last Name, Date of Birth, Class, and School Affiliation. The sheer volume suggests this breach could impact a vast majority of the student population in the country.

Key Cybersecurity Insights

Breaches involving minors and student data are particularly malicious because they target individuals with “clean” credit histories and expose physical location patterns:

• The UTIS Code Risk: The UTIS Code is a unique identifier used within the Azerbaijani education system. Leaking this code links the student to their entire academic history. Attackers could theoretically use it to access grades, attendance records, or other educational portals if authentication is weak.
• Physical Safety & Stalking: The combination of Name, School, and Class creates a granular map of where thousands of children are located during the day. This data poses a severe physical security risk, enabling stalking or targeted harassment.
• Parental Phishing (The “Kidnapping” Scam): With access to the child’s Name, School, and Phone Number, scammers can launch terrifying attacks against parents. They can call claiming to be school administrators demanding payment for “damaged property” or, in extreme cases, stage fake kidnapping calls using the child’s specific details to add credibility.
• Long-Term Identity Theft: Minors are ideal targets for identity theft because they do not check their credit reports. Attackers can use the Date of Birth and Name to open fraudulent accounts that may go undetected for years until the child reaches adulthood.

Mitigation Strategies

To protect student safety and data privacy, the following strategies are recommended:

• Ministry Investigation: The Ministry of Science and Education must immediately investigate the source of the leak—likely a central database or a widely used third-party educational platform—to plug the vulnerability.
• Parental Alert: Parents should be notified immediately and warned to be hyper-vigilant against calls or texts claiming to be from their child’s school, especially those requesting money.
• Identifier Reset: If possible, the UTIS codes for affected students should be regenerated or flagged to prevent their use in external verification processes.
• Social Engineering Training: Schools should educate students (and parents) about the risks of sharing OTPs or personal info over Telegram or WhatsApp, as the attackers are active on these channels.

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