Cyber Attacks on UK Schools on the Rise
A new government report on cyber security breaches has revealed that educational institutions in the United Kingdom are targeted by cyber attacks far more frequently than private businesses. According to the report, 60 per cent of secondary schools experienced an attack or security breach in the past 12 months. The figure rises to 80 per cent for colleges and 90 per cent for universities. By comparison, the rate for private businesses stands at around 40 per cent.
The most common method of attack is phishing emails, but ransomware incidents are also widespread. In ransomware attacks, hackers encrypt IT systems, steal data, and demand payment in Bitcoin in exchange for returning the information.
Toby Lewis, Global Head of Threat Analysis at cyber security firm Darktrace, explained that educational institutions are not specifically targeted but “caught up in opportunistic and random cyber crime networks.” Experts note that state schools are particularly vulnerable due to limited budgets and a shortage of cyber security specialists, while universities face risks stemming from the large number of students with limited cyber awareness and the open nature of their networks.
The Department for Education announced that it has established a dedicated cyber incident response team for schools, is providing free training, and is working in partnership with the National Cyber Security Centre. The government is also planning to ban schools from paying ransoms. However, officials emphasised that the attacks are still ongoing.