Cyber Security for
Education
Educational institutions are a key target for cyber criminals. A combination of valuable data, lack of cyber investment, legacy systems, increased device interconnectivity with EdTech adoption, and often large numbers of users means that the sector is a prime target for potential attack.
86%
of further education colleges identified a breach or attack in 2023-24
- Home Office, 2024
Education Challenges in the Face of Cyber Threats
Phishing Campaigns Are a Sector-Wide Problem
The government Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024 found that 97% of further education colleges and 100% of higher education institutions had experienced a phishing attack in the previous 12 months. It is by far the largest attack vector used across the sector, so monitoring and training are crucial to security.
Maintaining Regulatory Compliance
With educational institutions subject to an increasingly strict regulatory environment in the UK, they and their contractors/suppliers must maintain a level of regulatory compliance, providing a strong foundation of cyber awareness and best practice.
Digitalisation of Education & Lack of Investment
Education is becoming increasingly digitalised, and organisations implementing a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy create a big range of potential vulnerabilities that are harder to monitor without expert support. Educational institutions often have smaller budgets for cyber investment.
Common Attack Types in Education
Phishing
Phishing attacks employ deceptive emails, text messages or website links to try and trick individuals into revealing sensitive information like passwords or payment information
BEC (Business Email Compromise)
A phishing attack that impersonates a trusted individual or organisation to trick employees into transferring funds or divulging sensitive information.
Malware
Malware is any software that is intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer or server, leak private information or gain unauthorised access to information or systems.
DDoS Attacks
A Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack overwhelms a target server or network with malicious traffic that disrupts normal operations and prevents functionality for legitimate users.
Ransomware
Ransomware refers to malicious software that encrypts a victim’s data and demands a ransom for its release.
Insider Threats
These are risks originating from within an organisation/institution, posed by current or former employees, students, or partners who misuse their legitimate access to breach systems, gain access to confidential data, or compromise networks.
Protecting Educational Institutions from Cyber Threats
Get in Touch
Learn more about Cyber Security in Education
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Protecting Your Brand:
Is Your Digital Footprint Sabotaging Your Cyber Resilience Strategy?
Despite the advantages of technological integration, it can bring significant vulnerabilities - undermining your organisation’s cyber resilience strategies.
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How Martyn's Law Will Transform Venue Cyber Security
The Changes You Need To Be Aware Of
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 - Martyn’s Law, received Royal Assent on Thursday, 3 April 2025.
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Cyber Essentials:
Question Set Update 2025
Some significant adjustments have been made to the Cyber Essentials self-assessment question set - with these changes due to come into effect on 28th April 2025
