Why Educational Institutions Are Prime Targets for Cyberattacks

Introduction

Educational institutions such as colleges and universities have become a central target in the rising tide of cyberattacks. In recent years, attacks on schools, colleges and universities have intensified. Many institutions now struggle with budget constraints and global supply chain pressures. If your institution does not treat cybersecurity as a core concern, it risks exposure.



This blog is for IT professionals, school leaders, college and university administrators, as well as staff and stakeholders in education. You will gain a clear understanding of why educational institutions are targeted, what threats they face, and what steps to take.

By “educational institution” I mean schools (primary, secondary), further education colleges and universities. A cyberattack means unauthorised access, data breach, ransomware, phishing or disruption of services.

The topic matters because education has grown more digital. Teaching, learning, administration, data storage, research, and communication depend on networks and systems. Attackers exploit that dependency. Changing regulation, rising expectations for data protection, and increasing threats make this subject urgent now.

Why Educational Institutions Are Attractive Targets

High Value of Data

Educational institutions hold extensive personal data about students, staff and researchers. That includes names, dates of birth, addresses, grades, financial records and health information. Researchers’ work and intellectual property add further value.

Attackers can monetise that data. They sell personal records, demand ransoms to prevent leaks, or exploit credentials to commit fraud.

Broad Attack Surface

Institutions operate multiple systems: learning management platforms, email servers, library systems, research networks, student portals and third-party services. Many users access systems remotely. Each system is a possible point of entry.

Students, staff, contractors and alumni all use devices to connect. Some devices are unmanaged or personal. Legacy systems often remain in use. As a result the attack surface is large and complex.

Budget Constraints and Skill Shortage

Many schools and colleges face limited IT budgets. They lack resources to recruit skilled cybersecurity personnel. Maintenance of systems often falls behind. Upgrading infrastructure or applying patches may be delayed.

Smaller institutions often outsource IT support. That can lead to gaps in oversight and security consistency.

Open and Collaborative Culture

Education thrives on openness. Shared resources, collaboration tools, guest access and open networks are common. That openness contrasts with locked-down environments. Attackers exploit collaboration tools or misconfigured access.

Researchers often collaborate across institutions, sometimes sharing data or granting access to external partners. If one partner is less secure, the chain weakens.

Insider Threats

Students or staff may inadvertently or maliciously cause breaches. A student seeking to sabotage a grade system or gain advantage may try hacking. Staff using weak passwords or falling for phishing may become vectors.

In higher education, the culture of experimentation sometimes leads to use of unsanctioned tools or software. These may bypass security controls (Kelso et al., 2025).

Third-Party Risk

Many institutions depend on external software, cloud platforms, vendors and contractors. A breach in a vendor can cascade to the institution. Sophisticated attackers may target weak vendor systems to pivot into education networks.

Common Threats and Attack Vectors

Phishing and Social Engineering

Phishing remains the most common attack mode. According to the 2025 Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 97 % of further and higher education institutions that had identified a breach reported phishing attempts. (GOV.UK, 2025)

In primary schools, 89 % reported phishing attempts; secondary schools, similarly 89 %. (GOV.UK, 2025)

Attackers impersonate staff, ask recipients to click malicious links, steal credentials or download malware. Students and staff are prime targets.

Malware, Ransomware and Encryption Attacks

Malware and ransomware are widely used. In the first half of 2025, confirmed or unconfirmed ransomware attacks on colleges and schools rose 23 % year on year (Comparitech). (HigherEdDive, 2025)

School systems globally face thousands of attacks per week. In Q2 2025, schools averaged 4,388 attacks per week, up 31 % over the previous year (DeepStrike). (DeepStrike, 2025)

Some attacks encrypt systems and demand payment to release data or access.

Hacking and unauthorised access

Hackers may exploit vulnerabilities, misconfigurations or unpatched systems. They can penetrate networks, access databases or conduct privilege escalation.

In the 2025 education survey, 11 % of further and higher education institutions reported hacking or attempted hacking of online bank accounts. (GOV.UK, 2025)

Impersonation and Account Takeover

Attackers sometimes impersonate staff or the institution in online communication. In education, impersonation incidents are common. In the 2025 survey, 68 % of further and higher education respondents cited impersonation by email or online staff. (GOV.UK, 2025)

With stolen credentials, attackers can gain access to systems or data.

Exploitation of Legacy Systems and Unpatched Software

Older systems often lack security updates. Unsupported software remains vulnerable to known exploits. Attackers seek those weak points.

Institutions sometimes delay applying patches because of system complexity or fear of breaking services.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)

Attackers may flood networks or systems with traffic, disrupting availability. While less damaging to data, DDoS attacks degrade user experience and interrupt online classes or services.

Supply-Chain Attacks

Attackers may target a software or service provider and use that entry to reach educational clients. If a vendor is compromised, multiple institutions may be affected.

Threats from AI and Autonomous Tools

Attackers now use AI to improve phishing content, automate reconnaissance and craft sophisticated social engineering. Defences must keep pace.

In educational settings, misuse of large language models (LLMs) and AI tools may introduce new attack vectors (Zahid et al., 2025).

Current Risks and Consequences

Prevalence of Breaches and Attacks

In the 2024 Cyber Security Breaches Survey annex for education, 97 % of higher education institutions reported a breach or attack in the prior year. (GOV.UK, 2024)

Further education colleges reported 86 %, secondary schools 71 %, primary schools 52 %. (GOV.UK, 2024)

Among those reporting breaches, 43 % of higher education institutions said breaches occurred weekly. (GOV.UK, 2024)

In the 2025 survey, further and higher education institutions reported breaches weekly in 30 % of cases. (GOV.UK, 2025)

The data show that universities and colleges face constant threat pressure.

Impact on Operations and Reputation

Disruption of services interrupts teaching and learning. Systems may go offline for days. Admissions, grading, library access, virtual learning and communications suffer.

Some institutions are forced to close or revert to pen and paper. For example, a UK secondary school was forced to close temporarily after a ransomware attack. (Infosecurity Magazine, 2025).

Reputational damage is severe. Trust with families and staff weakens. News of breaches often leads to negative publicity.

Financial Costs and Recovery

Cost to recover from breaches is high. Resources are needed to restore systems, investigate, notify individuals, engage legal and forensic support.

In one case, the British Library cyberattack cost about £6-7 million to recover. (Wikipedia)

Universities or colleges that ransom data may pay large sums to retrieve access.

Insurers may increase premiums or refuse coverage for poorly secured institutions.

Legal and Regulatory Penalties

Educational bodies must comply with data protection laws (UK GDPR, Data Protection Act). Breaches of personal data may lead to regulatory fines by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Failure to demonstrate proper cybersecurity may harm institutional accreditation or public funding.

Research and Intellectual Property Loss

Universities host novel research with commercial or strategic value. Loss of intellectual property undermines research programmes, grants and partnerships.

Leaks of unpublished research may compromise future funding or reputation.

Student Safety and Privacy

Student records, health data, safeguarding information may be exposed. Sensitive personal information leaking can lead to identity theft, harassment or harm.

Certain breaches may affect vulnerable students more acutely.

Practical Steps to Strengthen Security

Here are clear, actionable steps for educational institutions. Each is vital to a layered defence.

Conduct Regular Risk Assessments

Assess your systems, networks, applications and data flows. Identify high-value assets and weak points. Evaluate likelihood and impact of threats.

Review risk assessments annually or after major changes. Use consistent methodology (for example NIST or ISO 27001 risk framework).

Develop a Cybersecurity Strategy and Policy

Create a formal strategy aligned with institutional goals. Document security policies on access control, data classification, acceptable use, incident response, backup and disaster recovery.

Ensure senior leadership and governors approve the policy. Embed accountability and oversight.

Apply Strong Access Controls

Enforce the principle of least privilege. Staff and students should have only the permissions needed.

Use strong passwords and require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for critical systems and administration accounts.



Segregate networks. Use network zones for student, staff, guest and admin access.

Patch and Maintain Systems Promptly

Implement a patch management programme. Prioritise critical security updates. Test before deployment but deploy quickly.

Replace unsupported or end-of-life software. Use vendor support or migration strategies.

Backup and Recovery Planning

Maintain secure, offline, immutable backups. Regularly test restores. Store backups offsite or disconnected.

Have a documented recovery plan specifying roles, steps and timelines.

Incident Response Capability

Prepare an incident response plan. Include detection, containment, eradication, recovery and lessons learned.

Define roles and responsibilities. Conduct regular drills and simulations.

Set up logging and monitoring. Use security information and event management (SIEM) tools.

Collaborate with law enforcement and regulatory bodies in your jurisdiction.

Security Awareness and Training

Train staff and students on phishing, social engineering and safe practices. Refresh training frequently. Run phishing simulation exercises.

Encourage reporting of suspicious emails or activity. Create a culture of vigilance.

Vendor and Supply Chain Risk Control

Review vendor security practices. Include security requirements in contracts. Require audits or certifications.

Limit vendor access to systems. Use separate accounts and permissions. Establish monitors for vendor actions.

Network Monitoring, Segmentation and Zero Trust

Monitor network traffic for anomalies. Use intrusion detection or prevention systems (IDS/IPS).

Segment networks between administration, students, research and guest access. Use firewalls and access control lists.

Move toward zero trust architecture by verifying every request regardless of origin.

Encryption and Data Protection

Encrypt data at rest and in transit. Use strong protocols (TLS).

Use full disk encryption, secure databases and encrypted backups. Protect sensitive data even if physical devices are lost.

Continuous Testing and Penetration Testing

Engage regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments. Use external security firms to test from attacker perspective.

Use red teaming or purple teaming exercises. Identify real weaknesses and measure readiness.

Security by Design in Educational Technology

When selecting teaching or learning tools, evaluate security posture. Prefer vendors with strong security practices.

Avoid “shadow IT” — unsanctioned tools introduced by staff or students. Institute approval processes for new software.

Board and Leadership Engagement

Make cybersecurity a board priority. Include cyber risk in institutional governance.

Ensure leadership understands its role and allocates resources. Use reporting metrics, dashboards and risk heat maps.

Insurance and Legal Preparedness

Obtain cyber insurance if feasible. Review policy coverage and conditions.

Work with legal counsel to prepare frameworks for breach notification, compliance and PR strategy.

Unique Challenges and Emerging Risks

Large Language Models (LLMs) in Education

As institutions adopt AI tools and LLMs, new risks arise. Educational models (eLLMs) face prompt injection, adversarial attacks or data leakage (Zahid et al., 2025).

If user data or prompts feed into the model, confidentiality is at risk. Institutions must treat AI tools as part of the threat landscape.

Unsanctioned Technology Use

Staff or students sometimes use apps or platforms without oversight. Kelso et al. (2025) describe how unsanctioned tools weaken privacy and security.

Institutions must create clear policies for tool adoption and enforce review processes.

Insider Threats from Students

Some students may act maliciously. Alternatively, they might unintentionally bring in malware or exploit weak systems. Lallie et al. (2023) document insider threats in education.

Monitoring, access control and awareness help reduce this risk.

Advanced Persistent Threats and Targeted Attacks

Some attacks target research projects, defence partnerships or sensitive areas. Those threats often operate stealthily.

Institutions with national or strategic research may be singled out. They must prepare for long-term campaigns and use threat intelligence.

Example Scenarios to Illustrate Threats

Scenario A: Secondary School Phishing Attack

A teacher receives an email that appears from the principal, asking to reset credentials. The teacher clicks a link and enters login details. Attackers gain access, spread malware, and steal student records. The school network is encrypted and classes disrupted for days.

Scenario B: University Vendor Breach

A university uses a third-party library management system. The vendor is breached, and attackers gain credentials to the university network. They exfiltrate research data and student records. The university has to engage forensics, notify regulators and restore systems.

Scenario C: Student Insider Threat

A student with elevated access attempts to change exam grades. The system permits elevated permissions for ease. The tampering is detected only after grades are published, causing reputational damage and legal complications.



These simple examples show how phishing, vendor breach and insider threat play out in real settings.

Roadmap for Implementation (12-Month Plan)

Quarter

Q1       

Focus Areas

Assessment and Strategy   

Key Actions

Conduct risk assessment, define policies, form governance, and secure senior buy-in

Q2

Focus Areas

Foundation Controls

Key Actions

Implement access controls, MFA, patching, backups and encryption

Q3

Focus Areas

Training & Monitoring

Key Actions

Roll out security awareness, phishing simulations, network segmentation, logging

Q4

Focus Areas

Testing & Maturity

Perform penetration tests, refine incident response, review vendor controls, board reporting

Summary 

Educational institutions are under intense cyber threat. They host rich data, operate broad systems and often lack resources. Attackers exploit phishing, ransomware, vendor risks, insiders and legacy systems. The consequences include disruption, reputation damage, regulatory fines, data loss and loss of trust.

You must take action. Conduct risk assessments. Build policies. Enforce access controls. Patch systems. Back up data. Train your community. Monitor networks. Test systems. Engage leaders. Treat vendors carefully. Plan for incidents.

The urgency is real. In 2025 ransomware rose 23 % in education (HigherEdDive). Phishing affects almost all institutions (GOV.UK, 2025). Institutions face weekly assaults.

You are not powerless. Use structured security practices. Aim for a defence in depth. Build resilience. Encourage accountability. Prepare for the threats of tomorrow.

If you wish to dive deeper on topics like penetration testing, security training, incident response or network segmentation visit the Cybergen site via the internal links included above.

Take steps now to protect your institution, your data and those you serve.

References

GOV.UK (2024) Cyber security breaches survey 2024: education institutions annex.

GOV.UK (2025) Cyber security breaches survey 2025: education institutions findings.

HigherEdDive (2025) ‘Ransomware attacks in education jump 23 % year over year’, HigherEdDive.

DeepStrike (2025) ‘Data Breaches in Education 2025: Trends, Costs & Defense’.



Lallie, H. S., Thompson, A., Titis, E. and Stephens, P. (2023) ‘Understanding Cyber Threats Against the Universities, Colleges, and Schools’, arXiv.

Kelso, E., Soneji, A., Navid, S. Z.-U.-H. et al. (2025) ‘Investigating the Security & Privacy Risks from Unsanctioned Technology Use by Educators’, arXiv.

Zahid, F., Sewwandi, A., Brandon, L. et al. (2025) ‘Securing Educational LLMs: A Generalised Taxonomy of Attacks on LLMs and DREAD Risk Assessment’, arXiv.

Infosecurity Magazine (2025) ‘73% of UK Education Sector Hit by Cyber-Attacks in Past Five Years’.

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