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A promotional image for new digital standards in education. The top half shows four primary school-age children sitting at a desk, looking down and focusing on work. The child closest to the camera on the right is smiling. The bottom half has an orange and blue graphic overlay that reads: "New standard announced! MEETING DIGITAL STANDARDS IN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES." In the bottom left corner is a circle image showing students working on laptops. The text "IT Support" is written in a yellow box below the circle. In the bottom right corner is a logo for the "DATA PROTECTION EDUCATION" initiative.
Information/Cyber Security

The government has announced an additional Digital Standard to help with planning, commissioning and reviewing their IT support services.  The services can be internal, external or a hybrid.  Effective IT support is essential for maintaining technology, planning improvements and mitigating risks like outages and cyber incidents, and sits alongside the other 11 standards.

"A graphic announcing 'October is Cyber Security Awareness Month,' with text explaining the importance of creating a cyber emergency contact list in preparation for a cyber attack. It also includes a 'Cyber tip' to assess passwords, turn on MFA, and review critical accounts, especially email. A shield icon with a checkmark and a lightbulb icon are visible."
Information/Cyber Security

As Cyber Security Awareness Month draws to a close, it's important to recognise that cybersecurity isn't a destination; it's a continuous journey. For organisations, particularly those in the education sector, this journey often involves working towards recognised standards and certifications. In the UK, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus are government-backed schemes designed to help organisations protect themselves against common cyber threats. For schools, the Department for Education (DfE) Digital Standards provide additional, tailored guidance.  The Government has recently published their Cyber Assessment Framework for further best practice guidance.

"A graphic announcing 'October is Cyber Security Awareness Month,' with text explaining the importance of creating a cyber emergency contact list in preparation for a cyber attack. It also includes a 'Cyber tip' to assess passwords, turn on MFA, and review critical accounts, especially email. A shield icon with a checkmark and a lightbulb icon are visible."
Information/Cyber Security

Your password is your first, and often most critical, line of defence. Yet, far too many people still rely on easily guessable combinations like "123456" or "password," leaving their digital lives wide open to attack. Cybercriminals use sophisticated tools to crack weak passwords in seconds, and is one of the easiest forms of attack - low risk.

"A graphic announcing 'October is Cyber Security Awareness Month,' with text explaining the importance of creating a cyber emergency contact list in preparation for a cyber attack. It also includes a 'Cyber tip' to assess passwords, turn on MFA, and review critical accounts, especially email. A shield icon with a checkmark and a lightbulb icon are visible."
Information/Cyber Security

It's easy to overlook the importance of physical security when we rely so heavily on digital systems, but it's a critical component of overall cyber security. This means protecting your devices and data from unauthorised physical access. For individuals, it's locking your laptop when you step away, securing your home network equipment, and shredding sensitive documents. For organisations, it includes controlled access to offices and server rooms, securing hardware (laptops, USB drives), and maintaining a clean desk policy. A physical breach can be just as damaging as a digital one, so don't neglect this fundamental layer of defence.

"A graphic announcing 'October is Cyber Security Awareness Month,' with text explaining the importance of creating a cyber emergency contact list in preparation for a cyber attack. It also includes a 'Cyber tip' to assess passwords, turn on MFA, and review critical accounts, especially email. A shield icon with a checkmark and a lightbulb icon are visible."
Information/Cyber Security

Printers are often overlooked, however, they can represent significant security vulnerabilities if not properly secured.  Modern printers are essentially specialised computers with network connections, storage capabilities, and their own operating systems, making them potential targets for cybercriminals.

"A graphic announcing 'October is Cyber Security Awareness Month,' with text explaining the importance of creating a cyber emergency contact list in preparation for a cyber attack. It also includes a 'Cyber tip' to assess passwords, turn on MFA, and review critical accounts, especially email. A shield icon with a checkmark and a lightbulb icon are visible."
Information/Cyber Security

In any organisation, and even for individuals with multiple devices, simply knowing what hardware and software you own is the foundational step for effective cybersecurity. This practice is known as asset management, and it's far more than just an inventory list; it's a critical component of risk management and security posture. You cannot protect what you do not know you have, or what state it's in.

"A graphic announcing 'October is Cyber Security Awareness Month,' with text explaining the importance of creating a cyber emergency contact list in preparation for a cyber attack. It also includes a 'Cyber tip' to assess passwords, turn on MFA, and review critical accounts, especially email. A shield icon with a checkmark and a lightbulb icon are visible."
Information/Cyber Security

When upgrading your tech or getting rid of old devices, simply deleting files or formatting a hard drive is often not enough to truly erase your data. Safe disposal of hardware is a critical, yet frequently overlooked, aspect of cybersecurity. If sensitive personal or organisational information remains recoverable on old devices, it can easily fall into the wrong hands, leading to identity theft, financial fraud, or severe data breaches.

"A graphic announcing 'October is Cyber Security Awareness Month,' with text explaining the importance of creating a cyber emergency contact list in preparation for a cyber attack. It also includes a 'Cyber tip' to assess passwords, turn on MFA, and review critical accounts, especially email. A shield icon with a checkmark and a lightbulb icon are visible."
Information/Cyber Security

Anti-virus and anti-malware are essential tools that are designed to detect, prevent, and remove malicious software – collectively known as malware – that can infect your devices, compromise your data, and disrupt your operations. Just like your body needs an immune system to fight off infections, your digital devices need protection against cyber threats.

  1. October 18. Regular Updates: Patching Against Threats
  2. October 10. Understanding Your Cyber Posture
  3. Time's Ticking: Windows 10 support ends in October 2025!
  4. October 9. A Guide for Education Providers
  5. October 4: When a Cyber Attack Hits
  6. Nursery Cyber attack
  7. The NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework
  8. Fraud awareness from the DfE
  9. The Classroom's Dark Side: Cyber crime from the Classroom
  10. KCSIE 2025: Data Protection, AI, and Cyber Security
  11. The Latest Cyber Threat: The "Murky Panda"
  12. Building a Secure School: Using the ICO Accountability Framework to Meet DfE Digital Standards
  13. Digital Safeguarding: DfE announces statutory DfE Digital Standards
  14. Compliance Reporting from the Knowledge Bank
  15. Social engineering + impersonation = Fraud ≡ cyber deception
  16. Data Breaches 2025 Report Highlights
  17. School cyber attack: Framlingham College, Suffolk
  18. Getting caught in the Scattered Spider web
  19. A Wake-Up Call for Cyber Vigilance - Danger in the Threat Landscape for Everyone
  20. Social Media and Marketing Guidelines and Training
  21. New Governor Resources
  22. Apple removes its highest level data security tool from UK customers
  23. Safer Internet Day, Cyber Security & Data Protection
  24. The Cyber Resilience Championship
  25. The Multiple Dimensions of Supplier Due Diligence
  26. Blacon High School Cyber Attack
  27. What the proposed Government legislative proposal around cyber crime means
  28. Effectively communicating during a cyber incident
  29. Safeguarding Identity in Microsoft 365: Protecting the UK Education Sector Against Cyber Threats
  30. Cyber Security Best Practice Area
  31. DfE Digital Standards for Schools and Colleges Tracker
  32. New Policies, Documents, Letters and Posters page
  33. Schools and Trusts Best Practice Area
  34. The DPE Retention Schedule
  35. How does the recent global IT outage affect me?
  36. King's speech introduces new bills in relation to cyber security, smart data and digital information
  37. Out of date technology
  38. What's a Cyber Incident and what should we do?
  39. Cyber attack on a school during half term
  40. Free short cyber training for staff
  41. The rise of cyber attacks in schools are causing pupils to miss classes
  42. ICO: Learning from the mistakes of others report
  43. Children's mental health data leaked after a cyber attack
  44. Cyber attack on a Trust; the aftermath
  45. Social Media Best Practice Area
  46. Lettings Best Practice Area
  47. MFA Bombing - What is it?
  48. Product Focus on Checklists : Initial Trust Plan
  49. Product Focus on Checklists : Information and Cyber Security
  50. Product Focus on Checklists : End of Term Checklist
  51. Product Focus on Checklists : Social Media
  52. Cyber Incident Review: The Benefits
  53. Product Focus on Checklists : Lettings
  54. Product Focus on Checklists : Record of Processing
  55. Why Data Should Stay Put: Benefits of Keeping Data in Its Original System
  56. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Retention and Destruction
  57. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Migration
  58. Product Focus on Checklists : Biometrics
  59. Product Focus on Checklists : Supplier Due Diligence
  60. Free Cyber help, advice and training with the Cyber Resilience Centres
  61. The Perils of Paper: The Printing Vulnerability
  62. Product Focus on Checklists : FOI
  63. Product Focus on Checklists : Governors and Data
  64. Product Focus on Checklists : DPIA
  65. Product Focus on Checklists : Site Moves
  66. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Breaches
  67. Product Focus on Checklists : Subject Access Requests
  68. Cyber attack on a University
  69. Product Focus on Checklists : Bring your own device
  70. Product Focus on Checklists : Working out of school/offsite
  71. Cyber Attack on a School
  72. Product Focus on Checklists : Redaction
  73. Product Focus on Checklists : CCTV
  74. Product Focus on Checklists : Clear desk
  75. Product Focus on Checklists : Commitment to compliance
  76. Product Focus on Checklists : Photos and video
  77. Product Focus on Checklists : Passwords
  78. Product Focus on Checklists : Information Classification
  79. Kent Councils Data Breach
  80. Free cyber training for staff
  81. DfE Digital Standards Update
  82. Where is your data stored?
  83. Phishing attacks targeting schools - alert from City of London Police
  84. The ICO reprimands a Multi Academy Trust
  85. CISA and UK NCSC Announce Joint Guidelines for Secure AI System Development
  86. Trust Initial Plan Checklist Update
  87. Update on Advisory for Rhysida Ransomware
  88. Records Management Best Practice Update
  89. The Crime in a Cyber Attack and a Data Breach
  90. NCSC Annual Review is published for 2023
  91. Learning from Data Breaches
  92. Windows 11 security ineffective against attacks on old devices
  93. Trust Initial Plan for Data Protection Compliance (for Multi Academy Trusts)
  94. International Counter Ransomware Initiative 2023 Joint Statement
  95. Google for Education Resources: Helping IT Admins meet DfE digital and technology standards
  96. Top Ten Cyber Security Misconfigurations
  97. ICO Reprimand: company suffered a ransomware attack
  98. The UK Online Safety Bill becomes an Act (Law)
  99. The importance of software updates (PaperCut vulnerability and Rhysida ransomware)
  100. Ransomware, extortion and the cyber crime ecosystem
  101. Cyber Resource: The Cyber Resilience Centre Group
  102. Email and Security: ICO recent guidance
  103. Help after a Cyber Attack/Incident
  104. What to do in the event of a Cyber Attack
  105. How KCSIE is linked to Cyber Strategy
  106. Cyber Crime: AI Generated Phishing Attacks
  107. Cyber Attack: Exam Boards
  108. VICE SOCIETY - Ransomware attacks on schools
  109. Using Tags if you are a group of organisations in the DPE Knowledge Bank
  110. Where's Harry the Hacker?
  111. Be Cyber Aware: USB Sticks
  112. Cyber Insurance in the Public Sector
  113. Types of Cyber Attacks: DDos Attack (Microsoft DDoS Attack in June)
  114. Cyber Attack: Leytonstone School
  115. Be Cyber Aware: Firewalls
  116. Be Cyber Aware: Cyber attacks and transparency. A no blame culture
  117. Cyber Attack: Dorchester School
  118. Knowledge Bank Role Types: Admin, Staff and Trustee
  119. Types of Cyber Attacks: Password Attacks
  120. Be Cyber Aware: Why regular software updates are important
  121. Cyber Attack: Wiltshire School
  122. Keeping your IT systems safe and secure
  123. Why we recommend using PIN codes on printers
  124. Types of Cyber Attacks: DDoS Attacks
  125. Types of Cyber Attacks: Phishing
  126. Redaction Guidelines Updated
  127. Types of Cyber Attacks: The Insider Threat
  128. Why your data is profitable to cyber criminals
  129. Using WhatsApp in Schools
  130. Knowledge Bank Updates
  131. Types of malware and how they are linked to data protection
  132. Windows Server 2012 & 2012 R2 Retirement
  133. How to contact us for support, subject access requests, data breaches and FOI's
  134. How a school fought back after a cyberattack
  135. Types of Cyber Attacks - Credential Stuffing
  136. January Cyber update - How Can Schools Help Prevent Cyber Attacks?
  137. Assigning courses to staff using to-dos
  138. The Education sector now at highest risk of cyber attacks
  139. Cyber Attacks
  140. Best Practice for Managing Photos and Video
  141. Compliance Manager released
  142. Emails – good practice and minimising the risk of a data breach

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