A number of fee paying schools across the UK have been the latest targets of a sophisticated phishing email attack, as reported by the BBC last week.

Emails from school accounts were sent to parents offering a 25% discount on fees if they were payed quickly via the Bitcoin cryptocurrency.

All schools that have been affected are now liaising with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) as this security breach contravenes the data rules set out by GDPR.

Whether or not your school is fee paying, parents will be familiar with communications from you requesting money. What can you do to keep your email systems as safe as possible and avoid risking data breaches?

1. Educate staff, students and parents – Statistics show that 4 out of 5 of the top security breaches are due to human or process error. There is a wide range of cyber security training resources available to help you raise awareness within your school community. Put procedures in place and educate people to stop and think before they click.

2. Security Technology – Modern firewalls and anti-virus technologies are being continually updated to block the latest threats. Keeping your school’s systems up to date will help you stay protected. The security filters can be easily managed to ensure that any restrictions applied do not compromise the usability of your school internet. You can also implement a Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS) which will defend against wireless threats.

3. Develop a Security Culture – Education and technology form part of the bigger picture of a robust security culture, one that encompasses all aspects of internet use at your site, including the use of personal devices and managing software updates.

Be Proactive

We advise all our education clients to take a more proactive approach to cyber security, rather than be reactive to any issues that may occur. It can difficult to know where or how to start and that is where we can help.

HBT Communications has close links with the Education sector; this means we have in-depth knowledge of how schools and colleges use technology. We also have access to the tools to help you stay safe.

You may feel restricted by budget constraints, but many of our solutions can be implemented without exceeding your current monthly IT spend. We provide a free no-obligation site survey to outline security solutions and costs.

Can you afford the risk of a security beach?
Book your site survey today.

Contact us on 02476 867 422 or if it more convenient
request a callback and one of our team will be in touch.