Billericay School in crisis due to cyber attack, urgent action needed

TLDR:

• The Billericay School declared a “significant critical incident” after a cyber-attack during the half-term holiday.
• All school IT systems were compromised and inaccessible, leading to the closure of specific year groups.

The Billericay School in Essex faced a critical incident after being targeted in a cyber-attack during the half-term holiday. Despite having industry-standard security measures in place, all school IT systems were compromised and inaccessible due to a complex encryption. Head teacher Patrick Berry informed parents about the situation and mentioned that IT staff were working on resolving the issue.

To prepare for lessons, the school decided to close to pupils in Year 7, 8, 9, and 12 on Monday. This incident highlighted the increase in cyber incidents in the education sector, with government data showing a rising number of cyber-security breaches in schools and colleges. Some schools even experienced temporary closures and weeks of disruption due to cyber-attacks.

The Billericay School’s response to the cyber-attack showcased the growing threat of cyber incidents in the education sector and the need for stronger security measures to protect school systems and data.