[ad_1]
School leaders have been warned they must prepare for the threat of cyberattacks as the new academic year begins.
The National Cyber Security Centre said “appropriate security measures” should be in place to defend against any threats and prevent disruption.
While there is no indication of an increased threat ahead of schools going back this week, the start of a new term means the impact of any attack could be more keenly felt than at other times of year.
Don Smith, vice president of the counter-threat unit at cybersecurity firm Secureworks, said it was a “time of change” that presented opportunities for criminals.
He told Sky News creating accounts for new pupils and staff, as well as a school’s stance on portable devices like laptops and tablets, could create vulnerabilities.
“Summer is a time when people are using their devices to have fun, play games, that sort of thing,” he said.
“If you’ve allowed teachers and pupils to take devices home, or let them bring their own, these devices may have picked up infections and malware that can come into the school and create a problem.”
Read more:
The school closures causing havoc at start of new year
Last September, just weeks into the new term, six schools in the same academy trust in Hertfordshire had their internal systems brought down by a cyberattack.
And on Friday, Debenham High School in Suffolk saw a hack take all of its computer facilities taken offline, leaving technicians scrambling to restore them before term starts.
Schools are not usually specifically hit by concentrated attack campaigns like businesses, but are seen as opportunistic targets as their defences tend to be less robust than other institutions.
‘Critical’ that staff and students understand threats
Mr Smith said limited budgets and spending priorities meant schools’ cyber defences may be lacking.
He stressed the need for “basic digital hygiene” to help protect important data, such as setting up two-factor authentication when…
[ad_2]
