Schools and universities on alert following ‘reprehensible’ rise in cyber-attacks

Advice issued after academic institutions faced attacks with ‘potential to de-rail preparations for the new term’

August saw a rise in cyberattacks on schools and universities, government experts have warned (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images)

Government cyber security experts have told schools, colleges and universities to be on alert following a reported rise in cyber-attacks.

August saw increasing numbers of attempted infiltrations of UK academia as the sector’s attention was focused on ensuring the safe return of students amid the coronavirus pandemic, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said.

The agency, which is part of GCHQ, said it dealt with several ransomware attacks against education establishments last month, which caused varying levels of disruption depending on the level of security establishments had in place.