- 27 June 2025
- 27 June 2025
- 3 min read
Exa News
School Cybersecurity in 2025: How UK Schools Can Stay Secure Against Rising Threats
- Date Posted:
- Read time:
- 5 min read
- Written by: Exa Networks
School Cybersecurity in 2025: How UK Schools Can Stay Secure Against Rising Threats
In classrooms across the UK, technology is woven into everyday learning, from cloud-based homework portals to Wi-Fi-connected whiteboards. But as our schools have grown more connected, so too have the risks. The severity of cyberattacks on UK schools has increased over the past year according to Ofqual, with breaches disrupting exams, exposing student data and putting vital systems offline.
This October marks Cyber Security Awareness Month 2025, led by the NCSC. The message this year of ‘Secure Our World’ is simple but powerful: small actions, taken consistently, make the digital world safer for everyone.
For schools that means understanding today’s threat landscape both inside and outside the classroom, and building everyday habits that keep students, staff and data safe.
Why are UK Schools being targeted?
The education sector has become one of the most targeted in the UK. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 shows that more than 60% of secondary schools and around 40% of primaries reported a cyber incident in the past year.
Attackers see schools as attractive targets as they hold sensitive personal data, often run on outdated systems and can’t always afford dedicated cybersecurity staff. That combination makes them both valuable and vulnerable.
The most common attacks schools face include:
Phishing emails – often impersonating suppliers, parents or even headteachers.
Credential theft – where login details are stolen and sold or reused elsewhere.
Ransomware – which can encrypt school files and demand payment to restore access.
Impersonation attacks – tricking staff into transferring funds or revealing information.
According to Ofqual’s recent findings, the impact of these attacks is deepening, not just causing temporary IT headaches, but halting teaching, delaying assessments and eroding trust with parents and students.
It’s clear that attackers have learned the rhythms of school life and they’re exploiting them.
A New Threat Landscape: AI, Automation and the Insider Risk
Smarter external threats
Cyberattacks are no longer crafted by lone hackers. Criminal groups are using artificial intelligence to create things such as convincing phishing emails and deepfake voices, that even experienced staff struggle to identify.
These tools are cheap, easy to access and constantly evolving. Meanwhile, schools often rely on legacy systems, unmanaged devices or unmonitored networks, making them easy pickings. Schools with strong patch management, multi-factor authentication and network monitoring are faring far better than those without.
Growing insider threats
Not every attack comes from outside. The ICO recently warned of a rise in incidents originating from inside schools, often caused by students or staff.
In many cases, students stumble upon weak passwords, shared logins or unsecured folders. Some may even test the boundaries of the network ‘for fun’, unaware that their actions could constitute a data breach.
These internal risks are often accidental but the consequences are just as serious. The lesson here is cybersecurity awareness isn’t just for IT teams, it’s something everyone in a school needs to understand, from the classroom to the staff room.
Turning Awareness into Action
This year’s theme, Secure Our World, is all about empowering people to take everyday steps that collectively make a big difference. For schools, that means embedding cybersecurity into daily routines not as an annual audit, but as part of the culture.
Here are seven habits that can help schools of all sizes build stronger digital resilience.
- Strengthen access controls: Give each staff member and student unique logins, use MFA wherever possible and only allow access to what’s needed for each role.
- Patch early, patch often (even better – use a management service): Regularly update all devices and software, including IoT classroom tech. Unpatched systems are one of the easiest ways in for attackers. The best solution is to opt for management service as this takes the responsibility of keeping your systems up to date out of your hands.
- Back up and test restores: Keep secure backups offline or in a separate environment. A backup is only useful if it’s recoverable, test regularly.
- Train staff and students: Awareness training should be practical, not just to tick a box. Simulated phishing emails, lunchtime workshops or student-led ‘cyber clubs’ make learning stick. If you don’t have the capacity to run these yourself companies like The Exa Foundation can facilitate these for you.
- Monitor and log activity: Even basic monitoring of your firewall logs helps detect unusual activity, like logins from unexpected locations or times. Visibility is key.
- Vet third-party tools: Schools increasingly rely on cloud apps and edtech services. Check that suppliers follow strong data security standards such as ISO accreditations before connecting them to your network.
- Prepare for incidents: Have a clear response plan: who to contact, how to isolate systems and how to communicate transparently with parents and staff.
Adopting these habits doesn’t require huge budgets just consistent effort and a whole-school mindset. When cybersecurity becomes part of the culture, resilience follows naturally.
DfE Standards for Cyber Security
The Department for Education’s Requirements for Cyber Security set out clear expectations for how schools should protect their systems and data.
The DfE guidance encourages schools to:
Review cybersecurity policies and practices at least annually, ensuring they reflect current risks and responsibilities.
Involve senior leadership in decision-making, cyber resilience is a governance issue as much as a technical one.
Provide regular training for staff and system users, so everyone understands their role in maintaining security.
Adopt layered defences and access controls, following principles of ‘least privilege’ and ‘zero trust’ to reduce risk exposure.
Develop and test an incident response plan, so the school can act swiftly and confidently if an attack occurs.
These aren’t just box-ticking exercises, they’re practical steps that help schools build a resilient digital foundation. By following DfE guidelines and embedding them into everyday practice, schools can protect learning continuity and demonstrate strong cyber governance.
The Role of Technology Partners
No school has to face these challenges alone. The right partners can make a big difference in simplifying security and providing peace of mind.
Exa works with schools across the UK to provide the best connectivity and cybersecurity solutions. We pride ourselves in our team of experts who can give tailored advice on your particular needs. Get in touch with us if you have any questions regarding online safety and we will provide you with the right next steps to protect your school.
It’s not a silver bullet, but part of a bigger picture: empowering schools with the tools and knowledge to build lasting resilience. After all, technology should enable learning, not endanger it.
Students as Allies, Not Risks
Encouraging cyber literacy helps young people understand the ‘why’ behind good security habits and gives them ownership of protecting their digital spaces.
Some schools are leading the way by:
Running student cybersecurity ambassador programmes, where pupils deliver peer-to-peer training.
Integrating cyber awareness into computing or PSHE lessons; from password strength to social engineering.
Holding cyber challenges or competitions around Cyber Security Awareness Month.
By involving students directly, schools not only reduce insider risk but also build the next generation of digitally responsible citizens. It turns cybersecurity from a compliance exercise into a shared mission.
Building a Culture of Cyber Confidence
As digital transformation accelerates, the line between online safety and cybersecurity continues to blur. Safeguarding pupils now includes protecting their data, their devices and their digital footprints.
The good news? Awareness is growing. More schools are investing in Cyber Essentials certification, adopting secure practices and building stronger relationships with their IT providers.
Cyber Security Awareness Month is the perfect moment to take stock, refresh your defences and refocus on the basics. Whether that means reviewing your password policy, running a student awareness session or simply talking about cybersecurity in your next staff meeting.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT concern, it’s a school-wide responsibility. In 2025, threats may be smarter and faster, but so too are our defences.
Quick Wins Checklist
- Review your school’s incident response plan
- Enable MFA for all key systems
- Run a phishing awareness refresher for staff
- Encourage staff and students to create strong passwords
- Audit your third-party apps and permissions
- Test your backups
- Share Cyber Security messages across your school community
By combining awareness, technology and teamwork, UK schools can close the resilience gap, protect learning and help ‘secure our world’ one habit at a time.
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