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Hackers posted on a cybercrime forum and Telegram claiming possession of nearly 2 GB of data from Jeanne Delanoue High School in Cholet, France.
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The leaked data supposedly contains teaching material and documents, which might help identify both students and teachers.
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This data hasn’t undergone validation by any external source. So whether the documents are real or if there was any cyber attack remains unclear.
Nearly 2 GB of data belonging to a private Catholic high school located in Western France is reportedly circulating online.
There’s currently no confirmation yet for such claims. And the hackers didn’t provide any samples to prove the files truly originated from the school.
Details of the Alleged Data Leak
Based on the cybercrime forum and Telegram posts, the attackers allegedly stole and released 1.99 GB of Jeanne Delanoue High School’s files. They claimed there were 162 files and folders in the archive. These files reportedly include educational and administration-related material.
They also claim the files contain names of students and staff members. Screenshots shared alongside the claims appear to show educational content. However, screenshots alone cannot confirm that the files are real or complete. No credible media outlet or researchers have verified the direct download link that the hackers shared.
The attackers attached an ideological message to their claim. According to them, they attacked the school as retaliation for hostile attitudes towards their religion. They also made accusations against the school management and teachers. None of these statements has been independently verified.
Brief Detail About the School
Jeanne Delanoue High School has been around since 1993. It’s a private Catholic school located in Cholet. Around 1,400 students study there. According to public data, the school’s staff strength is anywhere from 100 to 199 employees. They offer regular academics, vocational skills training, even apprenticeships, as well as university prep courses.
Also, the school offers general high school education alongside BTS programs. It also provides hospitality training, healthcare education, fashion, design, and technical courses. The institution partners with the University of Angers for several higher education programs.
The school’s total enrollment should not be confused with the number of people affected by the alleged leak. No evidence suggests the alleged leak affected all students’ information.
Many Questions Remains Unanswered
Several key details about this incident remain unknown:
- How the attackers allegedly obtained the files
- Whether the school’s network was breached
- If a user account or third-party service was compromised
- When did the threat actors access the data
- How many students or employees may be affected
- Whether sensitive personal records are part of it
In the absence of forensic findings and a public statement, one cannot tell whether the incident was a network intrusion, a leak of cloud storage, or any other form of cyber-attack..
The school has not released public findings. French authorities have not confirmed the breach. Until they do, the scope and impact of the alleged leak remain uncertain.
What Could Be at Risk If the Leak is Real
If the files are genuine, students and staff could face serious risks. Hackers could use names and internal information in targeted phishing attacks. Also, they could send convincing emails to students, parents, and teachers. Internal documents could also help attackers plan future social engineering schemes.
Educational resources and exam materials could circulate online. Any personal information in the files may continue spreading long after the initial publication.
The Educational Institutes Among the Top Targets for Hackers
This case represents the sad reality of the present times. There are increasing attacks from cybercriminals targeting educational institutions. The latter possess large amounts of sensitive data but lack security measures.
France has seen several education sector breaches. The trend extends beyond France; a Belgian school was recently targeted in a brazen attack involving family extortion.
Earlier this year, the National Education Ministry of France revealed two separate attacks involving data pertaining to both students and teachers. The attack involved taking advantage of hacked user accounts and gaining access to their private information.
This month, the Lyon Academy confirmed a breach that affected their student placement platform, Affelnet database. The sensitive data of 60,000 people— names, addresses, contact info, scholarship details, got exposed.
The government has been making efforts to reduce cyber threats in France. Operation Cactus 2026 is one good example. This used simulated phishing attacks to teach students, parents, and staff how to spot phishing scams.
Almost 9.2 million individuals participated. The awareness drive brought to light that about 1.1 million individuals clicked on dubious links, demonstrating the true susceptibility of the education industry.
The government added that cybercrime cases processed by the Paris prosecutor’s office have risen by 2,700% between 2017 and 2025. This sharp rise demonstrates the growing threat facing all organizations, especially schools.
Looking Ahead
For now, the Jeanne Delanoue incident is still an unverified breach claim. The underground posts warrant attention, including screenshots and descriptions of the alleged archive. But none of these elements independently prove the files are authentic or came from the school.
Until the official reports come out, the truth is still unknown. Nevertheless, it is yet another instance that proves that schools are lucrative targets for cybercrime activities.
Reasons could be anything ranging from monetary to ideological or disruptive. With the increased use of technology in education, it has become all the more necessary to safeguard the data.
