Education


WHY EDUCATION NEEDS A LESSON IN SECURITY


As AI, mobile devices and shifting digital habits reshape classrooms, education providers face a steep learning curve on security. Matt Middleton Leal, Regional Vice President EMEA at Qualys, explores why lasting change depends on organisation-wide support, and how the channel can help schools protect both pupils and their data.


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Matt Middleton Leal, Regional Vice President EMEA at Qualys


20 | March/April 2026


round technology, making changes requires support across your organisation. Tis starts with the initial business case,


and then has to be followed up on to make sure that the change sticks and becomes ‘business as usual’ to everyone involved. For education providers, IT security represents a big shiſt in how things function – keeping pupils protected against attacks is one element, while securing data on pupils is another factor. With so much change taking place in the wider world thanks to AI and mobile devices, organisations in education need help. According to the UK Government, the


education sector saw attacks grow over the past year. In the Cyber Breaches Survey for 2025, higher education institutions (91 per cent) and further education colleges (85 per cent) were most


affected, followed by secondary schools (60 per cent). Tis is much higher than the average for businesses, which saw 43 per cent of organisations affected. So, from an impact perspective, education providers are more likely to need help with security processes to prevent attacks. When something does go wrong, it is immediately obvious too. Te UK Government has developed the Cyber


Security and Resilience Bill (CSRB) to improve security and resilience. Tis will affect all schools as well as the companies that supply them with soſtware, where an interruption to service might lead to interruptions in learning. Tis year, all schools and colleges will have to carry out cybersecurity audits to prepare for the CSRB coming into force during 2026.


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