School Cyber Attack: St Anne's Catholic School
St Anne's Catholic School in Southampton has been forced to close four days after a cyber attack.
What type of attack was it?
Threat actors have hacked into the school systems with ransomware. Little information is available about how the hackers have managed to infiltrate the school's systems.
IT has acted immediately to stop it spreading and reported the incident to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the National Cyber Security Centre and the police.
As the school is closed there is no doubt that systems are not available and teaching and learning is compromised.
More information is available via the BBC Report: School forced to close after ransomware cyber attack
Why Schools are the New "Front Line"
Nurseries, schools and colleges have become prime targets for cybercriminals. Schools hold vast amounts of sensitive data—from safeguarding records to financial information—and often operate with smaller IT budgets than private corporations. According to 2025 Cyber Security breaches survey, over 60% of secondary schools and 91% of Higher Education Institutions in the UK have experienced a cyber incident in the last year. The most common type of attack being phishing.
Essential Advice for Schools: Strengthening Your Defences
The Higham Lane incident serves as a stark reminder for school leaders to review their digital "hygiene." Here are five critical steps every school should take today:
| Action Item | Why It Matters |
| Enforce MFA | Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is the single most effective way to stop credential theft. Every staff account must require a second code to log in. Secondary schools should consider this for their students too. |
| Offline Backups | Ensure backups are "air-gapped" (not connected to the main network). If ransomware hits, your backups won't be encrypted alongside your live data. |
| Phishing Training | Most attacks start with a single deceptive email. Regular "simulated phishing" tests for staff can build a human firewall. |
| Incident Response Plan | Don't wait for an attack to decide who to call. Have a printed (paper) list of contacts, including your IT provider, insurers, and the DfE; your Cyber Incident Response Plan. |
| Restrict Admin Rights | Minimise the number of staff who have "Administrator" privileges. This limits the "blast radius" if a single account is compromised. |
Pro Tip: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) offers a free "Cyber Action Plan" specifically for schools. It takes under 10 minutes to complete and provides a tailored list of security improvements.
Reporting Suspicious Activity
If a staff member believes they have entered their credentials into a suspicious site, they should contact their IT department immediately to reset passwords and secure the account.
By staying informed and implementing robust security layers, schools can protect their sensitive data and ensure that the classroom remains a safe environment—both physically and digitally.
