UK Education continues to face ransomware threat

The UK education sector continues to face an increased threat from ransomware attacks with a notable rise since students returned to the classroom.

Ransomware is a type of malware which can make data or systems unusable until the victim makes a payment. This can obviously have a huge impact in an education environment.

The Harris Federation, who run a number of primary and secondary schools in the London area, issued a statement confirming they had been victims of a ransomware attack. They have been working with the NCSC and the NCA since the incident.

Last week the NCSC re-issued an alert to the education establishments with updated advice and guidance following the trend of attacks against the sector. The original alert was published in September 2020 and schools, colleges and universities are urged to read and use the advice where possible.