Education Sector Cyber Threat Analysis
The education sector has faced significant challenges from cyber threats over the past 12 months, with ransomware attacks becoming a particular issue for educational institutions across the UK.
Both higher and further education institutions in particular are being targeted, and the emphasis on these institutions to make significant improvements to their cyber security posture has never been greater.
37%
Increase in cyber attacks on educational institutions since 2024
The UK Education Sector is A Top Target.
Multiple high-profile UK universities and schools suffered notable data breaches over the past 12 months, with phishing attacks being reported as the most common breach type by educational institutions.
The education sector saw a 21% increase in cyber attacks in Q1 2025 - overtaking large target sectors like healthcare and technology. Institutions are also experienced a significant and sharp rise in ransomware attacks, with double extortion tactics (data encryption + threat of public leaks) becoming standard practice in many of these ransomware events.
Ransomware attacks on education now account for over 10% of the total reported in the UK, with up to 40% of institutions paying ransoms.
| Metric | Global 2024 | Global 2025 | UK 2024 | UK 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ransomware Share | 6% of attacks | 8% of attacks | 7% of attacks | 10% of attacks |
| Avg. Ransomware Demand | $1.5M | $1.8M | £1M ($1.3M) | £1.2M ($1.5M) |
| Breach Incidence | 55% of institutions | 60% of institutions | 60% of institutions | 65% of institutions |
| Avg. Breach Cost | $4.8M | $5.2M | £3.8M ($4.8M) | £4.1M ($5.2M) |
| Phishing as Attack Vector | 85% | 90% | 88% | 92% |
| Third-Party Breaches | 40% | 50% | 35% | 45% |
High-Profile Education Cyber Attack Examples From The Past Year:
Source: PureCyber Threat Intelligence Analyst Team
+ University of Manchester Ransomware Attack
In March 2024, the University of Manchester experienced a ransomware attack which resulted in the encryption of critical research data and personal information. The attackers demanded a substantial ransom to decrypt the breached data putting significant pressure on the university, raising significant security concerns. The attack disrupted academic and administrative activities, causing major delays in research projects and impacting student services.
+ Fettes College, Edinburgh
In May last year, Fettes College, a prestigious private school in Edinburgh, suffered a cyber attack where hackers accessed data on the parents of wealthy overseas students. Attackers were able to deceive these parents into making substantial payments through fraudulent emails. The school acknowledged that a limited portion of it’s IT system was affected, resulting in financial losses for several families.
+ King’s College London
In April 2024, King’s College London reported a cyber incident where unauthorised individuals gained access to the university’s internal network, compromising sensitive institution data including research materials and personal details of a number of students and faculty.
Education Sector Threat Trends:
Our cyber analysts have been analysing a shift in attacker motivations within the retail sector, with a notable increase in espionage-motivated attacks. While retail cyber threats were traditionally driven by financial motives, it appears that attackers are now increasingly moving to prioritise easier-to-access data exfiltration and espionage.
35%
43%
Global Ransomware Attacks
Our analysis suggests that global year-on-year ransomware attacks targeting the education sector have increased by 35%.
Alarming Levels of Attack
The UK government’s recent Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 found that over 85% of further education colleges and 91% of higher education institutions such as universities, have experienced some form of breach over the past 12 months.
Breach Outcomes
Around 40% of further and higher education institutions reported to have experienced a negative outcome from a breach, meaning that the volume of attacks being directed towards the education sector are having an effect in many instances – highlighting the need for a robust and comprehensive cyber security strategy.
Weekly Cyber Incidents in the Education Sector
A 2024 report from the UK Department of Science Innovation and Technology found that 43% of higher education institutions experienced weekly cyber incidents.
Unique Sector Challenges & Risks:
+ Research & Collaboration Dangers - the sharing of sensitive data and collaboration on research projects is common place within the education sector, with data being shared across campuses or with external partners. Academics are also likely to collaborate with individuals who they haven’t met, potentially exposing confidential data through file sharing platforms or cloud storage systems.
+ Research & Collaboration - the sharing of sensitive data and collaboration on research projects is common place within the education sector, with data being shared across campuses or with external partners. Academics are also likely to collaborate with individuals
+ Research & Collaboration - the sharing of sensitive data and collaboration on research projects is common place within the education sector, with data being shared across campuses or with external partners. Academics are also likely to collaborate with individuals
What Methods Are Being Employed By Attackers?
+ Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks employ deceptive emails, text messages or website links to try and trick individuals into revealing sensitive information like passwords or payment information.
Around 97% of further and higher education institutions reported experiencing a phishing attack over the past 12 months.
+ Impersonation/Business Email Compromise (BEC)
Around 68% of higher education institutions reported an attack of this kind over the past 12 months. These are a form of targeted phishing attacks where a malicious actor poses as an employee, director or supplier for example, in order to gain unauthorised access to data or payments from unsuspecting employees using social engineering tactics.
+ Ransomware Attacks & Legacy System Exploitation
Ransomware refers to a malicious software that encrypts a victim’s data and demands a ransom for its release. Cyber criminals will exploit vulnerabilities in outdated/unsupported legacy systems (commonly used in educational institutions) to gain network access and breach sensitive data.
+ Distributed Denial-of-Service (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. DDoS attacks were experienced by around 36% of higher education institutions over the past 12 months.
How PureCyber Will Secure Your Organisation:
Comprehensive, 24/7 Active Threat Protection - Our combined cyber security solutions offer you a complete package of 24/7 protection, proactive threat intelligence, expert consultancy & real-world attack simulations to ensure you are prepared, compliant and secure.
Only need a particular service? Our team of expert cyber security and governance specialists will work alongside your organisation to offer support across a range of services:
Managed SOC Services:
From 24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) monitoring, to Threat Exposure Management (TEM), Vulnerability Scanning, Managed Detection & Response/Endpoint Protection, Phishing Simulations, Breach Monitoring and Incident Response, we have all the managed cyber security solutions you need to keep your network secure - safe in the knowledge that your systems are being monitored and protected by an expert team of cyber professionals.
Penetration Testing:
Identify potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses in your network/systems with Application Testing, Infrastructure Testing, Red Teaming & IT Health Checks. Our CREST certified team of penetration testers will push your network security to it’s limits, remediating vulnerabilities and offering insight into the health our your IT environment.
Governance Support:
Ensuring your organisation is compliant with regulatory requirements and expectations is the backbone of your organisational cyber security. As an NCSC Certified Assurance Provider, our consultancy services offer guidance and support in improving organisations cyber policies, achieving accreditations, auditing cyber posture and approach and reaching compliance standards.
Our certified team of Lead Auditors, Lead Implementors, and CISSP consultants are here to guide and support you on all aspect of your cyber security compliance needs including consultancy on CE, CEP & IASME, ISO27001, Incident Response Simulation, Cyber Security Audits, vCISO & Awareness Training.
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