Why Cybercriminals Are Targeting Schools (and How Multi-Academy Trusts Can Fight Back)

It is an uncomfortable truth: schools are now a primary target for cybercriminals. In recent years, the UK education sector has seen a sharp rise in ransomware attacks, where hackers lock down a school’s data and demand payment to release it.

Why Schools?

Why would criminals target a school rather than a bank?

• Valuable Data: Schools hold incredibly sensitive data—medical records, home addresses, safeguarding information, and staff financial details. This data is highly valuable on the black market.
• Perceived Weakness: Hackers assume that schools have older infrastructure, fewer cybersecurity staff, and tighter budgets than corporate entities, making them “low-hanging fruit.”
• Pressure to Pay: Schools cannot afford downtime. With exams and safeguarding at stake, criminals bank on the fact that schools will feel pressured to pay the ransom quickly to reopen.

The Strength of the Trust Model

This is where Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) have a significant strategic advantage. A single standalone school may struggle to afford enterprise-grade defence. However, by centralising IT strategy across a Trust, you can deploy a “shield” that protects every school under your umbrella.

• Unified Defences: Instead of 10 schools buying 10 cheap firewalls, a Trust can invest in one enterprise-grade Fortinet Security Fabric that covers everyone.
• Centralised Patching: A centralised IT team (like Primary ICT Support) ensures that every server across the Trust is patched simultaneously, removing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
• Shared Intelligence: If one school sees a phishing attempt, the defence can be updated instantly to protect the other schools in the Trust.