Cyber attacks are one of the biggest threats that schools face, experts have warned, as new figures show that a fifth of education establishments have been hit.
Hackers see teachers and parents as a “soft target” since they are often ill-equipped to deal with cyber thefts, while sensitive data held by schools – such as children’s medical records – are lucrative on the dark web.
Malware and phishing are the most popular types of attacks, according to research commissioned by Ecclesiastical, a specialist insurer for educational establishments.
They found that 20 per cent of educational institutions have been targeted and that universities are generally better prepared for such attacks than schools.
Faith Parish, the education director at Ecclesiastical, said: “Schools hold interesting information and often quite sensitive information. That means they are a target.
“There has been certainly an increase in ransomware and malware attacks. Hackers are looking for any opportunity they can exploit, they are looking for soft targets.
“There is general phishing, where people are tricking others into providing information. What we are seeing now is what we would term…
