
Figures from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO, 2024) reveal a worrying rise in cyber-incidents within the education and childcare sector, with 354 cases reported in 2023 – up from 224 the previous year.
Government data also indicates that, in the past year, the majority of schools and colleges experienced a cyber-security breach (DSIT, 2024). Given this landscape, what steps should schools take to protect themselves?
First, let’s examine some emerging trends in cyber-security for schools.
Cyber-attackers exploiting remote access systems
Over the past year we have witnessed an increase in the number of schools experiencing attacks through their remotely accessible systems.
Schools commonly use remote desktop services to allow staff access to internal resources. As the majority of these do not require multi-factor authentication, attackers can easily gain access to school networks by using simple techniques.
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