CYBER SECURITY
Schools under siege: the growing cyber threat to education
A
s cybercriminals become more sophisticated,
education establishments are facing an increasing threat from cyberattacks. Limited budgets, vast amounts of sensitive data, and a growing reliance on cloud-based systems make the education sector a prime target. Nick Shea, Director of Education at IT managed service provider Wavenet, explores why the sector is at a critical point. Ayberattacks on educational
institutions are escalating at an alarming rate. While schools, Multi- Academy Trusts (MATs), and further education establishments were once vulnerable due to weak infrastructure security measures, they are now being actively targeted online by cybercriminals and their AI-driven hacking tools.
Educational institutions are particularly attractive to cybercriminals because they store vast amounts of valuable data, yet often lack the resources to invest in robust cybersecurity measures. The consequences of a successful attack can be severe, from operational disruption to financial losses and reputational damage. Schools must take urgent steps to improve their cybersecurity resilience - but where do they start?
Why are schools being targeted? Schools, MATs, and colleges are a goldmine for cybercriminals. They hold 36
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large volumes of personal data on students, staff, and parents, which can be sold on the dark web or used for identity fraud and financial scams. Yet many schools mistakenly believe they have little to offer hackers, failing to recognise the immense value of their data. A major concern is that many people reuse passwords across multiple services, meaning a stolen school email and password combination could grant cybercriminals access to personal banking or other sensitive accounts.
At the same time, tight budgets mean that cybersecurity often takes a backseat to more immediate spending priorities. Cybercriminals know this, recognising that schools lack the financial resources to invest in robust security measures – resulting in breaches taking longer to detect and remediate when they do occur.
The biggest cybersecurity threats to schools A key threat is human error. According to an IBM study, 95% of cybersecurity breaches are as a result of human error rather than failures in technology. Staff and students may unknowingly click on malicious links, download harmful attachments, or fall victim to social engineering tactics that trick them into revealing login credentials. Without regular cybersecurity training, the human element remains the weakest link in school defences.
The increased use of cloud-based systems in education introduces further vulnerabilities.
While cloud technology enables remote learning and more efficient data storage, it also expands the attack surface for cybercriminals. In the past, schools primarily focused on securing their internal networks with firewalls and other perimeter defences. However, with more data stored
April 2025
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