School Cyberattacks Surge, Recovery Times Lengthen
Schools and colleges are grappling with a surge in cyberattacks, with recovery times increasing and the impact on students growing more severe. Meanwhile, Ofqual urges expanded cybersecurity training for teachers and improved data protection measures.
Cyberattacks on educational institutions are becoming more frequent and damaging. In 2024-2025, only 55% of schools recovered immediately from incidents, down from 63% the previous year. Moreover, 10% reported critical damage, up from 6% in the prior year. The most common breach method is stolen logins, often by students themselves, who account for more than half of attacks.
An unnamed academy trust faced weeks of disruption after an attack forced staff to recreate lost schedules and resources. In Germany, however, most school cyberattacks are carried out by professional cybercriminals. To combat these threats, Ofqual recommends regular data backups and malware protection. It also suggests expanding cybersecurity awareness training for teachers, as teacher training in this area jumped from 61% to 72% between 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. However, one in five cyber incidents still stemmed from employees sending work data to personal devices.
Cyberattacks on schools are causing significant disruption, with longer recovery times and more severe damage. While teacher training in cybersecurity is improving, there's still work to do to protect students' coursework and ensure swift recovery from attacks.
