London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

School cyber-attack affects 40,000 pupils’ email

School cyber-attack affects 40,000 pupils’ email

A ransomware attack on multiple schools has left 37,000 pupils unable to access their email.

The Harris Federation, which runs 50 primary and secondary academies in and around London, said it had temporarily disabled email while it deals with the cyber-attack.

Data on the systems has been encrypted and hidden by the attackers.

Last week, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued a warning that hackers are targeting schools.

'Sophisticated attack'


“We are at least the fourth multi-academy trust to have been targeted in March,” a statement on the Harris Federation website said.

“This is a highly sophisticated attack that will have a significant impact on our academies but it will take time to uncover the exact details of what has or has not happened, and to resolve.

“As a precaution, we have temporarily disabled our email system.”

Any devices which the Harris Federation have given to pupils have also been disabled, the statement added.

However, schools have recently returned to in-person learning as part of the easing of lockdown restrictions - meaning students can still attend classes.

Harris Federation schools break up for Easter later this week.

Its statement did not detail what information or data has been compromised, and it has not yet responded to the BBC's request for comment.

The trust is working with “a specialised firm of cyber-technology consultants”, the National Crime Agency and the NCSC to resolve the issues.

The NCSC said it has "recently alerted the education sector to the significant threat posed by ransomware attacks" and urged schools and colleges to follow its advice to protect themselves online.


It used to be the case that ransomware groups concentrated their efforts on large multinational companies.

Big corporate budgets and potential business interruption mean large ransom payouts.

Publicly funded schools and colleges are therefore an odd and particularly cruel target.

One hacker group recently posted part of their negotiation conversation with another unnamed institution on the dark net.

It made for grim reading, and once again showed me how ruthless they are.

At one stage, when the hackers demanded $15m, the school wrote: "Sir, please, this is NOT a business with profits. We operate much like a charity operates. This is a state-funded school, our salaries are paid for by taxing the people that live in the state. We have no idea how you think we can afford this."

This wave of attacks in the US and UK show the hackers have no regard for where the money comes from or who is affected.


Technology explained: what is ransomware?


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×