Student data. Term-time pressure. Limited budgets. Education institutions face unique challenges when ransomware strikes — and attacks increasingly target schools and universities.
Education is disproportionately targeted by ransomware because institutions typically have large, open networks, limited cybersecurity budgets, and hold significant volumes of sensitive data including student records, safeguarding information, research data, and financial records.
Universities and schools also face intense pressure to restore services quickly. An attack during term time can disrupt exams, teaching, student welfare, and research programmes. Threat actors exploit this urgency to demand faster payment.
In 2025–2026, UK universities, academies, and multi-academy trusts have been targeted by groups including Vice Society (now Rhysida), LockBit, and Medusa. The NCSC has issued specific guidance for the education sector following a sustained increase in attacks.
Rapid response with education-specific recovery priorities — teaching systems, student records, exam data.
Learn more →Identify vulnerabilities before attackers do — assessments tailored to education budgets and environments.
Learn more →Affordable retainer options for institutions that need guaranteed response without large upfront costs.
Learn more →Yes. We understand education budgets and offer proportionate engagement models. For schools and academies, we provide focused response services and can work within the constraints of your funding. An IR retainer is often the most cost-effective option.
Yes. For universities and colleges, we coordinate with Jisc's CSIRT as part of our incident response. Jisc provides valuable sector-specific threat intelligence and can assist with network-level containment for Janet-connected institutions.
We prioritise system recovery based on your academic calendar. During exam periods, we focus first on restoring exam systems, student records, and assessment platforms. We have experience working under the intense time pressure that term-time attacks create.