Six in Ten UK Secondary Schools Hit by Cyber Attacks

Six in Ten UK Secondary Schools Hit by Cyber Attacks
————————————-
A new UK government survey reveals that a majority of the nation’s secondary schools, along with higher education institutions, were targeted by a cyber-attack or security breach in the past year.

According to The Guardian, the annual cyber security breaches survey found that six out of ten (60%) secondary schools suffered an attack, making the education sector more likely to be hit than private businesses. The figure was even higher for further education colleges (80%) and higher education institutions (90%). By comparison, only 40% of businesses were affected.

The most common form of attack for schools and universities was phishing emails. Analysts suggest that state schools are particularly vulnerable due to funding pressures and a lack of specialist cybersecurity expertise.

Educational organizations are urging the government for additional funding and support to combat these persistent threats, which include major risks like ransomware attacks. The Department for Education maintains it is working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre to offer support and free staff training.