Attack came as part of a surge in attacks on educational establishments.
Lancaster Royal Grammar School was forced to rebuild its IT system following a cyber-attack.
Spotted in July, and identified as ‘something peculiar on the system’, headteacher Dr Christopher Pyle told BBC News that none of the most sensitive systems were affected, including pupil databases, safeguarding or finance, but the attack did cause a "pretty serious disruption.”
Muhammad Yahya Patel, lead security engineer at Check Point Software, said: "Like many other educational institutions, schools operate under tight budgets and limited resources, often continuing to use outdated software and hardware, making them prime targets for cyber-criminals.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident. Other schools have faced similar attacks, with some being locked out of their systems for extended periods.”
Written by
Dan Raywood
Senior Editor
SC Media UK
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.
Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.
