The summer months again saw a rise in ransomware attacks against schools, colleges and universities in the UK, as cybercriminals turned their attention to a sector which was focused on delivering exam results and the return of students for the new academic year.
Back in June, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued an alert to the sector to encourage organisations in the sector to protect their networks to prevent ransomware attacks, and we ran two webinars for Derbyshire and Leicestershire schools highlighting what could happen if safeguarding practices are ignored.
Dealing with a ransomware attack can be devastating for organisations, with victims requiring a significant amount of recovery time to recover critical services. These attacks can also be high profile in nature, with wide public and media interest following the story.
Some recent incidents in the education sector involving ransomware has led to the loss of school financial records, student coursework and data relating to COVID-19 testing. It's vital that organisations have up-to-date and tested offline backups.
Have a read of some of these case studies below, and if you’re interested in joining our webinars keep an eye out on a social media channels for updates.
Reporting
Report all Fraud and Cybercrime to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Report SMS scams by forwarding the original message to 7726 (spells SPAM on the keypad).
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