School Cyber Attacks: A Growing Concern

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has revealed a troubling trend in school and college cyber security. More than half of the cyber attacks and data breaches in these institutions are being carried out by their own students.

According to the ICO, students are hacking into school systems and accessing private data as part of dares or simply for fun. This insider threat is often underestimated by teachers and school administrators. Heather Toomey, a Principal Cyber Specialist at the ICO, warns that what begins as a harmless challenge can escalate into serious attacks on organizations or critical infrastructure.

The ICO's investigation of 215 hacks and breaches in educational settings since 2022 shows that 57% were student-led. Nearly a third of these incidents involved students illegally accessing staff computer systems by guessing passwords or stealing login details from teachers. The age range of involved students is wide, with cases involving children as young as seven years old.