The DfE have issued guidance about how Ofsted looks at AI during inspection and regulation.
Schools & MATs
- Tammy Buchanan
- Best Practice Updates
Data Breaches 2025 Report Highlights
The GOV.UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 is out and reveals that 43% of UK businesses and 30% of charities experienced a cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. We review and highlight some key data protection points.
- Tammy Buchanan
- Best Practice Updates
Not everyone needs access: The Key to Protecting Sensitive Data
🚫🔒 Sensitive data requires a higher level of security under UK GDPR because of its potential to cause significant harm to individuals if it is lost, stolen or misused. A recent case of a teacher losing their job after accessing a safeguarding report and transcribing it to her personal computer highlights the both the importance for least privilege access and continual review of access.
📢 Another school has been hit with a cyber attack which has resulted in parent contact information being breached.
- Tammy Buchanan
- Information/Cyber Security
Alert: Schools receiving Microsoft File Sharing Phishing Emails
📢 We've received several phishing emails from schools recently that look like they are sharing a Microsoft file or folder with us.
Framlingham College, a boarding and day school for pupils aged 3 to 18 has said it identified a 'cyber security incident'.
- Tammy Buchanan
- Best Practice Updates
West Lothian Schools in Cyber Attack
A group of 13 secondary schools, 69 primary schools and 61 nurseries in West Lothian have suffered a cyber attack.
- Tammy Buchanan
- Information/Cyber Security
A Wake-Up Call for Cyber Vigilance - Danger in the Threat Landscape for Everyone
📢 This week the news has reported cyber attacks on several major UK retailers: Marks and Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods, all of which have given everyone a stark reminder of the ever-present and evolving threat of cyber crime.
- Tammy Buchanan
- Best Practice Updates
New Governor Resources
📢🏛️ We've published some new resources for governing bodies about data protection and cyber security. Governors can be added to our Knowledge Bank platform as part of your subscription with us at no extra charge.
🤖🕒 Most meetings we are having with schools at the moment feature conversations and questions around the use of AI by staff in organisations. It's clear the landscape is rapidly evolving and education may not be moving as fast, however, it does help to be prepared.
💻📢 The DfE are seeking views on proposals for narrowing the digital divide in schools and colleges. It outlines the DfE's long-term vision for narrowing the digital divide in schools and colleges.
- Tammy Buchanan
- Best Practice Updates
Arbor AI - On By Default
💻 ⚠️ Arbor recently announced that it was including some AI as part of it's default configuration - some customers have raised questions about this with us.
- DfE Guidance: Choosing a new MIS
- Short Guide to AI Video
- Safer Internet Day, Cyber Security & Data Protection
- The Cyber Resilience Championship
- The Multiple Dimensions of Supplier Due Diligence
- School shares sensitive pupil information as part of an FOI response
- Blacon High School Cyber Attack
- WhatsApp and FOI's: ICO Warnings
- New AI Guidance from the DfE
- What the proposed Government legislative proposal around cyber crime means
- DfE update to record keeping and management
- Update to data sharing for school immunisation programmes
- SLT Digital Lead Profile
- The role of governors in cyber security and data protection
- Navigating Privacy at the End of Term , Special Occasions and End of Year
- South East Technological University has experienced a cyber incident
- Safeguarding Identity in Microsoft 365: Protecting the UK Education Sector Against Cyber Threats
- Cyber Attack on a Special School
- Stealing children's data
- Ofqual highlights the value of cyber security training in schools
- Fylde Coast Academy Trust Cyber Attack This Week
- Calling all IT leads in schools and mult academy trusts!
- Ransomware cyber attack on a school in Bromley
- School hit by Cyber Attack
- DfE Digital Standards for Schools and Colleges Tracker
- Schools and Trusts Best Practice Area
- ESFA Cyber Essentials Requirement for Colleges from 2024/2025
- ICO Reprimands a School
- Out of date technology
- Data Retention and the Pupil File
- Have you assigned your SLT Digital Lead yet?
- What's a Cyber Incident and what should we do?
- Getting Started with AI (Artificial Intelligence)
- Cyber attack on a school during half term
- The rise of cyber attacks in schools are causing pupils to miss classes
- Cyber attack on a Trust; the aftermath
- School Focus: The Vale Federation | Aylesbury
- DfE Dealing with Subject Access Requests (SARs) Guidance
- Update to the Guidance on Information Sharing from the DfE
- Product Focus on Checklists : Initial Trust Plan
- Product Focus on Checklists : End of Term Checklist
- Product Focus on Checklists : Social Media
- Product Focus on Checklists : Lettings
- Milk Island: The secret location that allows children to view restricted content on Google Maps
- Free Cyber help, advice and training with the Cyber Resilience Centres
- The Perils of Paper: The Printing Vulnerability
- Product Focus on Checklists : Governors and Data
- Product Focus on Checklists : Site Moves
- Cyber attack on a University
- Product Focus on Checklists : Bring your own device
- Product Focus on Checklists : Working out of school/offsite
- Cyber Attack on a School
- Major cyber-criminal gang Lockbit brought down by UK Law Enforcement
- Product Focus on Checklists : Photos and video
- Safer Internet Day 2024
- Kent Councils Data Breach
- Free cyber training for staff
- DfE Digital Standards Update
- ClassCharts Possible Data Breach
- School Focus: St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School | Brighton
- Guardians of Privacy: 16. Social Media Checklist
- Guardians of Privacy: 15. Navigating Social Media in Educational Settings Summary
- Guardians of Privacy: 14. Social Media and Cyber Bullying
- Guardians of Privacy: 13. Social Media, Copyright and Intellectual Property
- Guardians of Privacy: 12. Social Media and Going Viral
- Guardians of Privacy: 11. Staff Social Media Accounts
- Guardians of Privacy: 10. Social Media and Cookies
- Guardians of Privacy: 9. Social Media and Morality
- New Resources for Schools from the ICO
- Guardians of Privacy: 8. Social Media Policies
- Guardians of Privacy: 7. Social Media Data Retention
- Guardians of Privacy: 6. Posting Safely
- Guardians of Privacy: 5. Social Media and Consent
- Guardians of Privacy: 4. Social Media Access Control
- Guardians of Privacy: 3. Social Media Channels
- Guardians of Privacy: 2. Law and Regulations
- Phishing attacks targeting schools - alert from City of London Police
- The ICO reprimands a Multi Academy Trust
- Guidance for the use of school email and applying email retention in schools
- Data Protection Tips for Early Years Settings
- Trust Initial Plan Checklist Update
- Update on Advisory for Rhysida Ransomware
- Trust Initial Plan for Data Protection Compliance (for Multi Academy Trusts)
- Google for Education Resources: Helping IT Admins meet DfE digital and technology standards
- Lettings Best Practice and Guidance
- The UK Online Safety Bill becomes an Act (Law)
- Considerations when migrating to a new MIS
- The importance of software updates (PaperCut vulnerability and Rhysida ransomware)
- Public bodies and sensitive data
- ICO: 10 Step guide to sharing information to safeguard children
- Email and Security: ICO recent guidance
- Social Media Policy
- Data Protection and Cyber Security (Inset Day) Training Ideas
- Changes to Microsoft Free Licensing for Schools
- What to do in the event of a Cyber Attack
- How KCSIE is linked to Cyber Strategy
- VICE SOCIETY - Ransomware attacks on schools
- Using Tags if you are a group of organisations in the DPE Knowledge Bank
- Cyber Insurance in the Public Sector
- Cyber Attack: Leytonstone School
- The ICO Reprimands a school
- Cyber Attack: Dorchester School
- Knowledge Bank Role Types: Admin, Staff and Trustee
- Cyber Attack: Wiltshire School
- Types of Cyber Attacks: The Insider Threat
- Why your data is profitable to cyber criminals
- Striking Data Breach
- January Cyber update - How Can Schools Help Prevent Cyber Attacks?
- FOI: Vaccination Justifications
- The Education sector now at highest risk of cyber attacks
- Schools Blocked from Using Facial Recognition Systems
- The Children's Code
- Cyber Attacks
- Protocol for Setting Up and Delivery of Online Teaching and Learning
- Class Dojo International Data Sharing
- Secure file transfer of files using Royal Mail
- Emergency contacts and consent
- Best Practice for Managing Photos and Video
- Headteacher fined for breach of data protection legislation
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