The cybersecurity wake-up call for schools: How you can stay protected

As education goes digital, cyberthreats are growing faster and more complex. From ransomware and phishing to data breaches, schools and universities have become easy targets for cybercriminals. With tight budgets, sensitive data, and outdated systems, most institutions are struggling to keep up, all while navigating a fragmented ecosystem of tools and limited cybersecurity expertise.

In this blog, we’ll explore the evolving cyberthreat landscape in education, highlight emerging risks, and outline what IT teams can do to stay one step ahead of threats.

Why educational institutions are a target

Schools and colleges are a prime target for cyber attacks since they offer a goldmine of personally identifiable information (PII), financial records, and login credentials. Unlike financial services or healthcare, schools lack dedicated cybersecurity teams. IT departments, especially in K–12 and MATs, tend to be small and overextended. 

The nature of education involving open networks, shared devices, bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies, and an ever-changing user base of students and staff offers a chance for exploitation.

This problem is compounded by:

• Disparate IT systems spread across campuses or school sites

• Limited cybersecurity resources or underskilled staff

• A culture of openness that prioritizes accessibility over restriction

• A larger attack surface due to the growing use of remote-first tools

The cyberthreat landscape in education

Recent cyberattacks highlight how vulnerable the education sector is:

• Red Kite Learning Trust (UK, 2023):
  A cyberattack forced the shutdown of systems across 10+ schools, disrupting operations and learning.

• Newcastle University (UK, 2020):
  Suffered a severe ransomware attack, leading to major data breaches and weeks of system recovery.

• University of Manchester (UK, 2023):
  Sensitive student and staff data were stolen and leaked following a cyberattack.

• Los Angeles Unified School District (US, 2022):
  A major ransomware breach exposed confidential student information across one of the largest school districts in the US.

• University of California (US, 2021):
  Targeted in a global ransomware campaign, resulting in data exfiltration across several campuses.

Even well-funded, high-profile global brands like Marks & Spencer, Royal Mail, and the British Airways in the UK and organizations such as Colonial Pipeline, Equifax, and Marriott in the US have faced significant cybersecurity incidents—proving that no one is immune.

Cybersecurity compliance guidelines 

As education becomes increasingly digital, governments and regulatory bodies are stepping in to demand better data protection practices.

In the UK, the Department for Education (DfE) provides cybersecurity standards that MATs and local authorities are expected to follow. In the US, FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) governs access to student education records, while CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) offers guidance for K–12 cybersecurity readiness.

However, compliance alone isn’t enough. Cybersecurity needs to be proactive and embedded into the day-to-day operations of every school. 

Why traditional IT models are failing

Historically, education IT has been reactive rather than planning proactively for risk. But as threats evolve, this approach is no longer sustainable.The fragmented nature of many IT environments in education creates security gaps. Without full visibility, IT teams can’t respond fast enough when something goes wrong. 

Here’s what educational institutions can do instead of relying on legacy systems and tools:

Adopting purpose-built solutions 

Today’s school IT teams need purpose-built platforms that address the unique challenges of education environments—whether it’s managing hundreds of student devices, supporting BYOD policies, or coordinating operations across a multi-academy trust.

 A unified platform designed specifically for education IT enables teams to monitor, manage, and secure all devices from a single dashboard. It allows for automation of patching, updates, and ticket resolution, helping reduce manual workload and response times. 

Supporting a remote-first approach

Post-pandemic, education is no longer confined to classrooms. With hybrid learning and distributed teams now the norm, IT support has had to evolve too. A remote-first approach isn’t just a nice-to-have, but is essential.

With remote-first IT management, teams can deploy updates, troubleshoot issues, and monitor endpoints without needing to be physically on-site. That means fewer campus visits, faster response times, and far less disruption to students and staff. 

Building a culture of cyber resilience

Building a culture of cybersecurity awareness is essential. This includes providing ongoing training for staff and students to help them recognize phishing attempts and social engineering tactics. It also involves setting up simple, accessible channels for reporting suspicious activity and integrating cybersecurity into onboarding and regular professional development sessions. 

Ultimately, maintaining digital safety is a shared responsibility that all stakeholders, including teachers, students, and IT teams, must account for.

Cybersecurity checklist for education IT teams

Even with limited budgets or small teams, education IT leaders can take impactful steps:

1.⁠ Audit your environment: Know what assets you manage, what software you run, and where your vulnerabilities are.

2. Consolidate your tools: Move toward platforms that unify device management, support, and security.

3. Enable strong access controls: Use MFA, lock down admin rights, and enforce strong passwords.

4. Automate where possible: Let automation handle patching, monitoring, and alerting—freeing up your time for strategy.

5. Partner with the right vendors: Choose tools that are built with education in mind and offer scalability and built-in compliance readiness.

The cyberthreat landscape in education is becoming increasingly complex. But with the right strategy, tools, and mindset, IT teams can go from reactive to resilient.

By adopting a unified, purpose-built platform with enhanced security controls and remote-first management, schools and other educational institutions can future-proof their IT infrastructure and protect the communities they serve.