Building Cyber Resilience in UK Universities

The trend isn't a reflection of negligence but a direct consequence of a change threat environment where sensitive data is valuable to criminals, with the potential to significantly impact the university. Universities across the UK are also exposed to a broader spectrum of threats, including impersonation scams, viruses, malware and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

The financial and human implications are concerning. Whether it’s safeguarding systems failing, loss of trust and reputation or the disappearance of examination data, the ramifications go beyond any immediate financial loss.

This isn't simply an IT challenge that requires technical solutions. It's a key organisational risk that demands the same systematic approach institutions apply to fire safety, student protection and crisis management. However, with the right measures in place, such systems can build resilience and ensure the security of critical student information.

The human impact of cyber incidents within educational institutions

A cyber-attack on an educational establishment is a people issue, not just a technical one. When the digital systems that support the community are corrupted, everyone feels the impact.

It can affect workers in different ways, for example:

• Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) lose access to critical safeguarding platforms like MyConcern or CPOMS, severing the link to vital pupil information and pastoral alerts
• University staff may be unable to contact parents of students during an emergency
• Lecturers might find themselves unable to access crucial coursework or assessment materials, disrupting students’ learning

Five actions you can take today

Building cyber resilience doesn't require significant technical expertise or investment in the latest cybersecurity tools. Here are some practical steps that can strengthen your cyber hygiene and response capability:

1. Create a hard copy: In a crisis, digital systems may be unavailable. Keep a hard copy of key contacts and their roles in a cyber incident. This ensures that everyone knows who to call and what to do, even if the network is completely down.
2. Add cyber to your existing safeguarding and continuity plans: You don't need to reinvent the wheel. Ensure DSLs and other key safeguarding staff have a clear, rehearsed plan for what to do if they lose access to their systems.
3. Practise an outage scenario: Think of this as a digital fire drill. Run through a scenario where your institution information management system is disabled. How would you share critical information? This step builds confidence and identifies gaps in your response plan.
4. Double-check supplier verification steps: Invoice fraud and phishing are real risks that are becoming harder to spot as bad actors turn to AI to perpetrate more sophisticated attacks. Ensure your finance and admin teams have a clear process for authorising payment requests, especially new or unusual ones. A simple check like this can prevent significant financial loss.
5. Encourage a culture of open communication: Staff should feel safe reporting anything suspicious, no matter how small. A culture of transparent communication leads to faster, more effective responses, preventing minor issues from escalating into major breaches.

Cybersecurity: The impact on student safeguarding

Cybersecurity is an intrinsic part of safeguarding. When a cyber incident occurs, the risk to learners’ safety and wellbeing becomes an added component that needs to be carefully managed. By working together, DSLs and senior leadership can respond quickly and effectively.

Breached staff data can expose sensitive family information to criminal actors, potentially compromising ongoing safeguarding investigations and revealing confidential details. It's therefore vitally important that such data is stored securely and encrypted, and that DSLs have access to backups so they can maintain communication with stakeholders and respond to any ongoing concerns.

The real goal is to be resilient. The strongest higher education institutions aren’t necessarily the ones that are most secure, but they are the most prepared — and they're not the low-hanging fruit. By taking the practical steps outlined above, you can create a culture of cyber resilience that protects not just your data and systems but also the people and learning at the heart of your institution.

October marks the annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to review your cyber resilience plans and prepare your higher education community for continuity planning exercises. Strengthen your academy’s cyber posture by contacting our Gallagher specialists.