Cybersecurity in UK Education: Putting Safeguards in Place

11 July

1. Rising Threats – Recent Incidents

  • Widespread ransomware attacks: Over one‑third of schools and colleges in England suffered crippling ransomware in the past academic year, often attributed to Russian‑speaking gangs—average ransom demands reached £5.1 million, with recovery costs nearing £3 million.

  • Lancashire multi‑academy attack: The Fylde Coast Academy Trust had 10 schools knocked offline by the Rhysida ransomware gang, leading to a £300,000 emergency resilience upgrade.

  • Edinburgh spear‑phishing disrupts exams: A spear‑phishing campaign hit Edinburgh’s education department in May 2025, forcing 2,500 students to reset their passwords over a weekend—crucially interrupting revision schedules.

  • University of the West of Scotland breach: Late‑2023 ransomware by Rhysida uncovered 363 GB of personal data, contributing to a £14.4 million deficit and exposure of sensitive records.

2. Why Education Is at Risk

Outdated systems and tight budgets: Many UK schools still run unsupported software on aging hardware, making them easy targets .
Human vulnerability: Phishing remains the most common entry point, with 89–92 % of schools reporting incidents in the past year .
Inadequate policy structure: Roughly one‑third of education providers lack formal cyber strategies or business‑continuity plans .

3. Best Practice Measures to Adopt

Technical Defences

  • Keep software patched and up to date, including firmware and operating systems.

  • Use firewalls, antivirus/EDR tools, and secure Wi‑Fi to monitor and filter traffic across all devices.

  • Multifactor Authentication (MFA): Mandatory for staff (required by DfE standards) and strongly advised for all student accounts.

  • Off‑site backups: Implement regular backups and test recovery drills to restore systems quickly.

Human & Organisational Measures

  • Cyber‑awareness training for staff and students, including phishing simulations—early intervention is crucial.

  • Incident response planning: Prepare and rehearse response protocols—covering who does what, communications, roles, and recovery procedures.

  • Risk assessments: Annual audits of IT assets, policies, and vulnerabilities, followed by structured risk mitigation .

  • Adopt cybersecurity frameworks: Standards like ISO 27001, NCSC’s 10 Steps, Cyber Essentials, or GovAssure/Cyber Resilience Bill compliance.

Collaboration & Funding

  • Sector partnerships: Participate with organisations like LGfL, NCSC, Safer Internet Centre for shared threat intelligence and guide-based tools.

  • Funding support: Utilise initiatives like AWS’s £5 million Cyber Education Grant for infrastructure upgrades and training.

  • Government backing: The Department for Education and DfE provide support teams—yet schools must push for increased sustained funding.

4. Conclusions & Call to Action

The education sector remains a prime target. But with coordinated investment, proactive frameworks, and a cybersecurity-aware culture, schools can dramatically reduce risks.

  • Policy + planning + tech + training = resilience

  • Engage staff and students, make cybersecurity everyone’s responsibility

  • Seek external support when budgets are limited

  • Test, review, repeat—security is not a one-off project

By acting now, education providers can secure continuity, safeguard sensitive data, and protect educational delivery from future cyber disruption.


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