Schools were locked out of systems, councillor points to multi-academy chain.
A ransomware attack affected 11 Shropshire schools and led to "pupils being unable to submit coursework for several weeks.
According to media reports, West Mercia Police and Crime Panel said its cyber unit had supported several high-impact investigations, including the ransomware attack affecting 11 schools.
A "sensitive case involving AI-generated imagery at two schools" and cryptocurrency related matters were also dealt with, according to notes from a meeting of the panel, and reported by BBC News.
Bagley councillor Benedict Jephcott said it was connected to a multi-academy chain and may not have happened if it had "not enforced integration across sites."
Disconnecting Equipment
One large secondary school did not have a single working printer due to the attack, stated the councillor, who believed that disconnecting equipment could be a way to stop the issues.
Adam Boynton, senior security strategy manager EMEIA at Jamf, said the attack against schools in Shropshire mirrors a trend we’re seeing – cyber-criminals targeting school systems that affect students nearing their GCSEs and A-levels. “Missing coursework deadlines would have been highly stressful for students and teachers, especially given it often reflects months of work that can shape future education and career paths,” he said.
“As schools adopt more devices, move services online, and spend more time connected, they become increasingly vulnerable. Pair this with limited IT resources and tight budgets, which hinder upgrades, schools become an irresistible target for cyber-criminals.”
Written by
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with 25 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 17 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 Forum, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and the National Cyber Security Show, and served as editor of SC Media UK, Infosecurity Magazine and IT Security Guru. He was also an analyst with 451 Research and a product marketing lead at Tenable.
