Primary school age girl in school uniform on a laptop.  Computer screen in the background with the words cyber attack and cyber breach

The Misbourne School in Great Missenden had to partially shutdown in January due to a cyber attack.  The attack significantly affected its infrastructure and operations.
Checklists in navy text by Data Protection Education. Data Protection Services badge.  The DPE Knowledge Bank on a laptop screen

All of our customers have access to the DPE Knowledge Bank which has a Best Practice Checklist area.  Each checklist is designed to help you walk through all aspects of data protection.
Masked hacker at a computer with his finger to his lips.  A red closed stamp across the picture

The NCA (National Crime Agency) has infiltrated systems belonging to LockBit - the UK has led an operation to disrupt what is thought to be the world's largest criminal ransomware group.  For the last four years, the LockBit group has been hacking into thousands of businesses, schools and medical facilities around the world.
A mobile phone with lots of apps held in a hand.  The word fake in navy on an orange background.  Data Protection Education logo

We recommend completing due diligence on any third party suppliers that you share personal data with.  We recommend that you do this BEFORE purchasing, installing and using the product to share information.  Our Knowledge Bank platform has a Supplier Due Diligence Best Practice area to help with this and lists many suppliers that we have done some generic risk assessments on.  Ensuring due diligence is part of your procurement process for apps means that someone is less likely to download a fake app.
Checklists in navy text by Data Protection Education. Data Protection Services badge.  The DPE Knowledge Bank on a laptop screen

All of our customers have access to the DPE Knowledge Bank which has a Best Practice Checklist area.  Each checklist is designed to help you walk through all aspects of data protection.
Checklists in navy text by Data Protection Education. Data Protection Services badge.  The DPE Knowledge Bank on a laptop screen

All of our customers have access to the DPE Knowledge Bank which has a Best Practice Checklist area.  Each checklist is designed to help you walk through all aspects of data protection.
Checklists in navy text by Data Protection Education. Data Protection Services badge.  The DPE Knowledge Bank on a laptop screen

All of our customers have access to the DPE Knowledge Bank which has a Best Practice Checklist area.  Each checklist is designed to help you walk through all aspects of data protection.
Checklists in navy text by Data Protection Education. Data Protection Services badge.  The DPE Knowledge Bank on a laptop screen

All of our customers have access to the DPE Knowledge Bank which has a Best Practice Checklist area.  Each checklist is designed to help you walk through all aspects of data protection.
Safer Internet Day in blue text, Tuesday 6 February 2024 in orange text, saferinternetday.org.uk in black text

We couldn't let today go by without mentioning Safer Internet Day when so many of our customers are schools and trusts.  Educators, social workers and other professionals working with children and young people play a key role in supporting children to learn about how to stay safe online.
Data breach in orange text on a computer screen with computer text in blue

The ICO has confirmed a data breach from Kent councils.  The breach was reported by three Kent councils who share the same IT support provider.  Canterbury, Dover and Thanet councils continue to be hampered by the disruptions of onlines services following a cyber incident.
Girl smilitng, children working, some children working on a laptop. Text says Meeting Digital Standards in Schools and Colleges

Did you know that annual cyber security training for school staff is a requirement in the DfE Digital Standards for Schools and Colleges Cyber Security Standards Document?

Data breach in orange text on a computer screen with computer data behind it

Security researchers and computing blogs are reporting 'the mother of all breaches' in reference to a data breach where billions of records have been breached.  The dataset doesn't come from one single breach but a compilation of multiple data breaches.  
Data breach in orange text in computing font on a computer screen with computer code in blue text

A number of schools have reported a data breach by ClassCharts this week.  ClassCharts is school management software that allows teachers to create a customisable classroom seating chart.  It can also be used to track student behaviour, reading levels and other student data.
Robot wearing an orange hoodie holding a piece of paper with the words Data Protection education is transparent text

This week the IAPP published a set of AI privacy risks in the wake of concerns over how AI should be regulated.  There are moves to regulate AI, such as the EU AI Act, however  because AI remains quite an unknown quantity, there is a lot of unease and uncertainty around it's use, ethics, privacy and intellectual property.
Hacker wearing an orange hoodie leaning over a laptop with money raining down behind on a blue background.  Data Protection Education logo on the right hand side

If you think someone is trying to trick you into handing over money, personal details or a change of salary information........ there is a way to report this with Stop Scams UK.
hand holding a mobile phone with social media icons on it. Litus Digital logo and Data Protection Education logo. Guardians of Privacy: Navigating social media in educational settings in blue text.  A series of articles about social media, privacy and schools in black text.  Coloured pencils at the bottom

This article is one of a series written by Data Protection Education in collaboration with Litus Digital, a social media management company.  The articles came about from questions asked by Data Protection Education's customers, our own experience of working in education,  as school governors, parents and data protection professionals.  The articles raise questions about how social media can be used as safely as possible in a school environment,  security considerations, the law and protecting children.  It is not possible to cover every aspect of social media, but the articles aim to provide guidance, raise privacy questions and provide some support for safe posting.

hand holding a mobile phone with social media icons on it. Litus Digital logo and Data Protection Education logo. Guardians of Privacy: Navigating social media in educational settings in blue text.  A series of articles about social media, privacy and schools in black text.  Coloured pencils at the bottom

This article is one of a series written by Data Protection Education in collaboration with Litus Digital, a social media management company.  The articles came about from questions asked by Data Protection Education's customers, our own experience of working in education,  as school governors, parents and data protection professionals.  The articles raise questions about how social media can be used as safely as possible in a school environment,  security considerations, the law and protecting children.  It is not possible to cover every aspect of social media, but the articles aim to provide guidance, raise privacy questions and provide some support for safe posting.

hand holding a mobile phone with social media icons on it. Litus Digital logo and Data Protection Education logo. Guardians of Privacy: Navigating social media in educational settings in blue text.  A series of articles about social media, privacy and schools in black text.  Coloured pencils at the bottom

This article is one of a series written by Data Protection Education in collaboration with Litus Digital, a social media management company.  The articles came about from questions asked by Data Protection Education's customers, our own experience of working in education,  as school governors, parents and data protection professionals.  The articles raise questions about how social media can be used as safely as possible in a school environment,  security considerations, the law and protecting children.  It is not possible to cover every aspect of social media, but the articles aim to provide guidance, raise privacy questions and provide some support for safe posting. 

hand holding a mobile phone with social media icons on it. Litus Digital logo and Data Protection Education logo. Guardians of Privacy: Navigating social media in educational settings in blue text.  A series of articles about social media, privacy and schools in black text.  Coloured pencils at the bottom

This article is one of a series written by Data Protection Education in collaboration with Litus Digital, a social media management company.  The articles came about from questions asked by Data Protection Education's customers, our own experience of working in education,  as school governors, parents and data protection professionals.  The articles raise questions about how social media can be used as safely as possible in a school environment,  security considerations, the law and protecting children.  It is not possible to cover every aspect of social media, but the articles aim to provide guidance, raise privacy questions and provide some support for safe posting.

hand holding a mobile phone with social media icons on it. Litus Digital logo and Data Protection Education logo. Guardians of Privacy: Navigating social media in educational settings in blue text.  A series of articles about social media, privacy and schools in black text.  Coloured pencils at the bottom

This article is one of a series written by Data Protection Education in collaboration with Litus Digital, a social media management company.  The articles came about from questions asked by Data Protection Education's customers, our own experience of working in education,  as school governors, parents and data protection professionals.  The articles raise questions about how social media can be used as safely as possible in a school environment,  security considerations, the law and protecting children.  It is not possible to cover every aspect of social media, but the articles aim to provide guidance, raise privacy questions and provide some support for safe posting.

hand holding a mobile phone with social media icons on it. Litus Digital logo and Data Protection Education logo. Guardians of Privacy: Navigating social media in educational settings in blue text.  A series of articles about social media, privacy and schools in black text.  Coloured pencils at the bottom

This article is one of a series written by Data Protection Education in collaboration with Litus Digital, a social media management company.  The articles came about from questions asked by Data Protection Education's customers, our own experience of working in education,  as school governors, parents and data protection professionals.  The articles raise questions about how social media can be used as safely as possible in a school environment,  security considerations, the law and protecting children.  It is not possible to cover every aspect of social media, but the articles aim to provide guidance, raise privacy questions and provide some support for safe posting.

hand holding a mobile phone with social media icons on it. Litus Digital logo and Data Protection Education logo. Guardians of Privacy: Navigating social media in educational settings in blue text.  A series of articles about social media, privacy and schools in black text.  Coloured pencils at the bottom

This article is one of a series written by Data Protection Education in collaboration with Litus Digital, a social media management company.  The articles came about from questions asked by Data Protection Education's customers, our own experience of working in education,  as school governors, parents and data protection professionals.  The articles raise questions about how social media can be used as safely as possible in a school environment,  security considerations, the law and protecting children.  It is not possible to cover every aspect of social media, but the articles aim to provide guidance, raise privacy questions and provide some support for safe posting.

hand holding a mobile phone with social media icons on it. Litus Digital logo and Data Protection Education logo. Guardians of Privacy: Navigating social media in educational settings in blue text.  A series of articles about social media, privacy and schools in black text.  Coloured pencils at the bottom

This article is one of a series written by Data Protection Education in collaboration with Litus Digital, a social media management company.  The articles came about from questions asked by Data Protection Education's customers, our own experience of working in education,  as school governors, parents and data protection professionals.  The articles raise questions about how social media can be used as safely as possible in a school environment,  security considerations, the law and protecting children.  It is not possible to cover every aspect of social media, but the articles aim to provide guidance, raise privacy questions and provide some support for safe posting.

Yellow background. Young child in front of a laptop with their hands over their face

The ICO has recently published a new set of resources for schools.  They are for teachers to use when discussing privacy issues and the value of personal data.  The kit includes lesson plans which explain what counts as personal data and why it is valuable and how to keep it safe.  The resources are free to download and use.
hand holding a mobile phone with social media icons on it. Litus Digital logo and Data Protection Education logo. Guardians of Privacy: Navigating social media in educational settings in blue text.  A series of articles about social media, privacy and schools in black text.  Coloured pencils at the bottom

This article is one of a series written by Data Protection Education in collaboration with Litus Digital, a social media management company.  The articles came about from questions asked by Data Protection Education's customers, our own experience of working in education,  as school governors, parents and data protection professionals.  The articles raise questions about how social media can be used as safely as possible in a school environment,  security considerations, the law and protecting children.  It is not possible to cover every aspect of social media, but the articles aim to provide guidance, raise privacy questions and provide some support for safe posting.

  1. Guardians of Privacy: 7. Social Media Data Retention
  2. Guardians of Privacy: 6. Posting Safely
  3. Guardians of Privacy: 5. Social Media and Consent
  4. Guardians of Privacy: 4. Social Media Access Control
  5. Guardians of Privacy: 3. Social Media Channels
  6. Guardians of Privacy: 2. Law and Regulations
  7. Latest ICO Reprimand. Mr. S. Claus, Chief Executive Officer, North Pole Enterprises
  8. Phishing attacks targeting schools - alert from City of London Police
  9. The ICO reprimands a Multi Academy Trust
  10. Guidance for the use of school email and applying email retention in schools
  11. CISA and UK NCSC Announce Joint Guidelines for Secure AI System Development
  12. Data Protection Tips for Early Years Settings
  13. Children's Privacy around the world is a puzzle
  14. Trust Initial Plan Checklist Update
  15. Update on Advisory for Rhysida Ransomware
  16. Records Management Best Practice Update
  17. The Crime in a Cyber Attack and a Data Breach
  18. What do I need to redact?
  19. NCSC Annual Review is published for 2023
  20. Learning from Data Breaches
  21. Windows 11 security ineffective against attacks on old devices
  22. Trust Initial Plan for Data Protection Compliance (for Multi Academy Trusts)
  23. International Counter Ransomware Initiative 2023 Joint Statement
  24. Google for Education Resources: Helping IT Admins meet DfE digital and technology standards
  25. Top Ten Cyber Security Misconfigurations
  26. Lettings Best Practice and Guidance
  27. ICO Reprimand: company suffered a ransomware attack
  28. The UK Online Safety Bill becomes an Act (Law)
  29. Considerations when migrating to a new MIS
  30. The importance of software updates (PaperCut vulnerability and Rhysida ransomware)
  31. Public bodies and sensitive data
  32. Adding offline bulk training using the Certificates function
  33. Ransomware, extortion and the cyber crime ecosystem
  34. Get a DPE Badge for your website!
  35. ICO: 10 Step guide to sharing information to safeguard children
  36. Cyber Resource: The Cyber Resilience Centre Group
  37. Email and Security: ICO recent guidance
  38. Help after a Cyber Attack/Incident
  39. Social Media Policy
  40. Data Protection and Cyber Security (Inset Day) Training Ideas
  41. Changes to Microsoft Free Licensing for Schools
  42. What to do in the event of a Cyber Attack
  43. Cyber Crime: AI Generated Phishing Attacks
  44. Handling Freedom of Information Requests the right way
  45. Cyber Attack: Exam Boards
  46. VICE SOCIETY - Ransomware attacks on schools
  47. Using Tags if you are a group of organisations in the DPE Knowledge Bank
  48. Where's Harry the Hacker?
  49. Be Cyber Aware: USB Sticks
  50. Cyber Insurance in the Public Sector
  51. Types of Cyber Attacks: DDos Attack (Microsoft DDoS Attack in June)
  52. Cyber Attack: Leytonstone School
  53. The ICO Reprimands a school
  54. Be Cyber Aware: Firewalls
  55. Be Cyber Aware: Cyber attacks and transparency. A no blame culture
  56. Cyber Attack: Dorchester School
  57. Knowledge Bank Role Types: Admin, Staff and Trustee
  58. Types of Cyber Attacks: Password Attacks
  59. Be Cyber Aware: Why regular software updates are important
  60. Cyber Attack: Wiltshire School
  61. Keeping your IT systems safe and secure
  62. Types of Cyber Attacks: DDoS Attacks
  63. Types of Cyber Attacks: Phishing
  64. Types of Cyber Attacks: The Insider Threat
  65. Why your data is profitable to cyber criminals
  66. Using WhatsApp in Schools
  67. The Changes to Data Protection in the UK
  68. Knowledge Bank Updates
  69. Types of malware and how they are linked to data protection
  70. Striking Data Breach
  71. IPR Protection Email Scam
  72. Windows Server 2012 & 2012 R2 Retirement
  73. How to contact us for support, subject access requests, data breaches and FOI's
  74. YouTube breached child protection laws
  75. How a school fought back after a cyberattack
  76. Types of Cyber Attacks - Credential Stuffing
  77. January Cyber update - How Can Schools Help Prevent Cyber Attacks?
  78. Assigning courses to staff using to-dos
  79. How the Record of Processing Can Help You
  80. Information Security Basics: What are VPN's?
  81. What does a Data Protection Officer Do?
  82. Are you ready for a Data Breach?
  83. Carrying out Supplier Due Diligence
  84. How Long Should You Keep Personal Data For?
  85. The Education sector now at highest risk of cyber attacks
  86. How to Assess your Data Security
  87. Schools Blocked from Using Facial Recognition Systems
  88. The Children's Code
  89. B&H FoI: Racist/religious incidents/bullying
  90. Cyber Attacks
  91. Protocol for Setting Up and Delivery of Online Teaching and Learning
  92. Class Dojo International Data Sharing
  93. Model Publication Scheme: Amendments, Improvements and Updates
  94. Child friendly privacy notices
  95. Transparency
  96. Secure file transfer of files using Royal Mail
  97. Emergency contacts and consent
  98. Key elements of a successful DPIA
  99. FOI Publication Schemes
  100. SHARE: Avoid disinformation online
  101. Best Practice for Managing Photos and Video
  102. New Drip Feeds: Recognise and Respond to Subject Access Request
  103. When to contact the Data Protection Officer?
  104. National child measurement programme
  105. Compliance Manager released
  106. Headteacher fined for breach of data protection legislation
  107. Emails – good practice and minimising the risk of a data breach

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