Cyberattack hits Suffolk school

Debenham High School's network is down as a result

A cyberattack has hit a secondary school in Suffolk, taking down computer facilities before the new term begins.

Debenham High School is a private Church of England secondary school in Debenham, Suffolk. It has space for about 650 pupils, and is preparing for the new school year to start this month.

However, headteacher Simon Martin has announced that a cyberattack has taken down the school's computer facilities.

In a letter to parents, Martin assured parents that no personal data had been compromised, and the school has informed the police.

It's now working to restore the systems before pupils come back next week.

"Although it is difficult to provide precise timescales for a full restoration, the support team has assured us that due to the safeguards we have in place, the restoration process should happen more quickly," Martin said in a letter to parents, seen by the BBC.

"Work completed over the holidays by students is currently not available to access.

"Staff are aware of this situation and please do not worry if any work had not been completed."

Prime time for attackers

The start of the new academic year is the perfect time for cybercriminals to attack schools. Not only are staff mostly working part-time in the holidays, but it's also the start of a busy period - so vulnerabilities are comparatively easier to exploit.

On top of that, "schools have limited protective IT resources compared to other sectors," noted Martin Mackay, CRO at Versa Networks.

"Cyberattacks on the education sector can have severe consequences on a child's education. In the attack against Debenham High School, students are currently unable to access work completed over the summer. However, we've seen worst-case scenarios where schools have been forced to temporarily close...

"The education of children has already been greatly impacted by Covid; therefore, further closures due to a cyberattack cannot be afforded. By prioritising cybersecurity measures and investing in the necessary resources, schools can reduce the risk of falling victim to a cyberattack, but also, give themselves with the tools to quickly recover if they were ever breached."

A recent threat report by SonicWall found that ransomware attacks and intrusion attempts against schools had fallen 38% and 59%, respectively, this year - but other types of attacks, including cryptojacking and malware attacks, were up significantly.