Hackers take over Australian high school exam authority’s website to promote cheating scam: ‘Dogs*** security standards’

Hackers took over a page on Victoria’s VCE exam authority website and posted a message claiming they had obtained exam papers and sold them to hundreds of students. The incident raises concerns about exam security, particularly after a separate leak in 2024 prompted a review of the authority’s processes.

The message, attributed to someone using the name DaggerElite, alleged that weaknesses at the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and external providers enabled access to 2026 papers. It warned that copies were individually identifiable, while the authority’s website was offline on Wednesday night. VCE exams were scheduled from 29 October to 18 November, and results are due at 7am on 10 December; the authority and other organisations had been contacted for comment.