South Africa: 21-Year-Old Apprehended Over Matric Exam Results Leak
On Thursday morning, the Hawks’ serious economic offenses unit conducted a raid at the premises of the Edumarks owner. A 21-year-old man, registered as the company’s owner, was arrested during the operation. Authorities confiscated various electronic devices along with an unlicensed shotgun and ammunition. The suspect is currently detained for unlawful possession of a firearm.
Earlier this week, GroundUp reported on Edumarks, a service offering National Senior Certificate (NSC) students their matric results up to seven days in advance for a fee of R100. A joint investigation by GroundUp and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) revealed that the results may have been leaked through Universities South Africa (USAf).
Edumarks reportedly began distributing accurate matric results, even though access to these marks was restricted to the DBE and USAf at the time. USAf, which represents South Africa’s 26 public universities, is responsible for sharing NSC results with these institutions.
The breach was confirmed on January 11 when Edumarks emailed GroundUp the results of a student, which the DBE verified as authentic. Records showed that USAf received the matric marks database at 1:10 PM that day, and Edumarks began sending out results just three hours later. The leak is suspected to have occurred through one of the 26 universities under USAf’s jurisdiction. Media outlets, by contrast, received the marks on January 13 under strict embargo agreements.
Elijah Mhlanga, a spokesperson for the education department, expressed satisfaction with the progress of the investigation, commending law enforcement for their efforts.
A prior investigation by GroundUp confirmed that Edumarks distributed accurate, though unfinalized, results from January 2024. These results did not include updates from remarking processes, which are typically finalized by March. Additionally, Edumarks advertised access to matric results dating back to 2014, suggesting a breach of a decade’s worth of student records.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to close gaps in the security of sensitive educational data.
Source: allafrica
