Technology & Innovation - Issue 11

First line of DEFENCE Once upon a time, teachers could leave cybersecurity to the IT experts – but guarding against online threats directed at school infrastructure and pupils is now everyone’s duty, says Megan Morris C ybersecurity may seem like a distant concern for educators, with most schools having dedicated IT departments in place to handle any potential issues. Yet as the digital landscape continues to evolve, it’s becoming increasingly clear that teachers can also have a critical role to play in maintaining a safe online environment for their pupils and school as a whole. At a time when technology is becoming ever more deeply integrated into our lives, maintaining the security of devices like smartphones, laptops and tablets has become an essential task that we can’t afford to overlook. The target may be the personal data we store on them, or the services we access through them– in any case, cyberattacks pose a constant and very real threat. And for schools, the stakes are particularly high. Beyond the IT department According to ParentPay’s cybersecurity guide for schools (see parentpay.com/ cyber-security-guide), the UK education sector faces a disproportionately large number of cyber threats compared to many other business sectors. The government’s 2023 Cyber Security Breaches Survey (see tiny.cc/ts137- CS1) highlighted that 63% of secondary schools and 41% of primary schools have experienced some form of breach or attack. The threats are plainly serious, but that still leaves the question – why should educators spend time worrying about cybersecurity, when educational institutions have IT departments and specialists on hand to defend against such threats? While it’s true that schools have IT professionals in place tasked with safeguarding their systems, the strength of any cybersecurity effort ultimately depends upon the actions of all staff members – and that includes teachers. A school’s data is only as secure as its weakest link. And that weak link could be anyone who neglects to follow good cybersecurity practices. A single breach can be enough to expose pupils’ personal information, disrupt classroom activities or even cause long-term damage to the school’s operations. Cyberattacks that deploy measures such as ransomware and phishing won’t just be aimed at your IT personnel. They can, and will, target anyone , including teachers. An April 2022 report produced by SWGfL and the University of Kent (see tiny. cc/ts137-CS2) revealed that while teachers rely heavily on the internet for their work, many schools are still lagging behind in the cybersecurity training they provide. More than 60% of schools hadn’t rolled out such training, while one in three lacked any kind of cybersecurity policy at all – thus leaving their teachers both vulnerable to attacks, and unprepared to deal with the consequences. An essential safeguarding tool For schools, the implications of a cyberattack can go far beyond financial loss or organisational disruption. The safety of pupils can be put at risk – as was made abundantly clear following an incident in 2018, when the CCTV systems of several schools in Blackpool were allegedly compromised and their video feeds livestreamed on the internet. This underscores the serious risks that weak cybersecurity in schools can pose. Schools have a legal and ethical obligation to protect their pupils, with strong cybersecurity practices being a key part of that responsibility. Educators must understand that they’re not just safeguarding their devices or data; they’re also protecting their pupils from real-world harms, making it “Many schools are still laggingbehind in the cybersecurity training theyprovide” 46 teachwire.net