School cyber attacks are rising in the UK, and schools are no exception. The National Cyber Security Centre recently modified its guidelines to reflect this growing threat.
In this three-part series with our partners Barracuda, Complete IT Systems look at why schools are targeted, how schools are exposed, and practical steps for safeguarding them.
Part 1: School cyber attacks – why are they targeted?
Schools may seem like less obvious targets for cyber criminals. Pupils are not likely to be carrying credit cards or phones, and exam results are unlikely to attract as big payouts as bank account details for instance.
The reality is that schools are a common target of hackers for two reasons. Firstly, they are often soft targets with inadequate security provisions in place. There can also be some potentially lucrative rewards for a successful attack.
What are the rewards?
Schools actually have a lot of data that can be valuable in the wrong hands. Childrens’ identity data is a valuable commodity in criminal circles. It is used by fraudsters to open bank accounts for money laundering. It can also be used to open new credit lines.
And the best part for cyber criminals? Children are much less likely to realise wrongdoing than adults. Some studies have found that twice as many children are subject to identity theft than adults for this reason.
State schools’ IT systems also contain an abundance of data attractive to criminals. This includes names, DOB, phone numbers, email addresses and health data. Private schools also hold financial and insurance information. On top of this, schools also hold payroll information for teachers.
With 8.9 million pupils attending almost 33,000 schools in the UK, the potential is clear.
Ransomware
Although state schools are not flush with funds, around 10% of the schools in the UK are private. That means there are well over 3,000 schools that could be susceptible to paying ransoms on pupils’ coursework, financial data and health information such as COVID-19 testing.
In part two of our blog, we will look at how private schools can be exposed.
How can I find out more?
As Barracuda Partners, Complete IT Systems can offer you expert advice on the solutions and how they could be effectively deployed in your business.
To find out more please call us on 01274 396 213 or use our contact form and we’ll arrange a good time to call you back.
