Nevada Department of Education

Summary

The Nevada Department of Education and the Department of Public Safety disclosed a data breach affecting SafeVoice Nevada, the state’s anonymous tip line for school safety and student well-being concerns. The breach originated at technology vendor Navigate360 during a multistate cybersecurity incident and exposed personally identifiable information from roughly ten percent of Nevada tips, potentially including names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, and emails. Because tipsters may remain anonymous, the department cannot reliably identify and notify every affected individual and is instead providing public notice through its website and a news release. Navigate360 confirmed unauthorized access to its systems and stated there is no evidence the stolen data has been used for fraud or identity theft, while state officials continue working with education leaders nationwide to demand stronger vendor protections.

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Description

The Nevada Department of Education and the Nevada Department of Public Safety announced on October 22, 2026, that SafeVoice Nevada had experienced a data breach caused by a multistate cybersecurity incident involving technology vendor Navigate360. SafeVoice is the state's anonymous reporting system that allows students and others to report school safety threats and concerns about a student's well-being, connecting those reports with adults who can intervene before harm occurs. Navigate360 first notified the state in the spring of 2026 that SafeVoice might have been affected by a criminal multistate cybersecurity incident that occurred between November 2025 and March 2026. Earlier in October 2026, SafeVoice notified the Nevada Department of Education and the Department of Public Safety that an investigation revealed approximately 10 percent of SafeVoice Nevada tips containing personally identifiable information had been compromised. On October 23, 2026, Navigate360 confirmed that an unauthorized party accessed its systems between November 21, 2025, and March 5, 2026. Hackers stole approximately 8.3 million tip records that may have included names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, and email addresses. Because individuals using SafeVoice can remain anonymous, the Department of Education stated it cannot reliably identify and notify every person affected by the exposure. The state instead provided public notice under state law through a news release and the SafeVoice website.

The breach affected approximately 10 percent of SafeVoice Nevada tips within the broader multistate incident. SafeVoice remained fully operational and available around the clock throughout the period, according to Navigate360. Navigate360 hired a data mining firm to review the stolen data and stated there was no evidence that the information had been used for fraud or identity theft. The incident attracted questions from Congress, generated national media coverage, and prompted a criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. With support from the governor's office, the Nevada Department of Education requested information from Navigate360 and began reviewing the data protections of other vendors. Navigate360 established a toll-free call center operated by HaystackID, the firm that conducted the forensic analysis, reachable at 833-966-1754 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time Monday through Friday, excluding U.S. national holidays. State education leaders across the country were engaged by Nevada officials to demand greater accountability and stronger protections for student information. Superintendent of Public Instruction Victor Wakefield emphasized that trust in SafeVoice is essential and described the compromise of sensitive information as unacceptable. Nevada Department of Public Safety Director George Togliatti stated that protecting the safety of Nevadans includes safeguarding sensitive information entrusted to programs like SafeVoice and that the department would continue working with the Department of Education to hold vendors to high security standards.

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