The education sector continues to fight an uphill battle against ransomware, as attacks on the sector continue to rise.

In this instance, Lancaster Royal Grammar School’s head teacher has disclosed that they faced “pretty serious disruption”, as a result of an attack in July.

Whilst the students may have been celebrating the summer holidays, starting a day early because of the disruption, the incident should cause further concern for education officials.

In this case, the school reported that databases and finance systems were unaffected, however, education continues to be low hanging fruit for cybercriminals intent on accessing sensitive data for maximum impact and many victims are not so fortunate. As more attackers use data theft and extortion to pressure victims into paying, many schools could find themselves dealing with consequences well beyond just cancelling classes. Securing the data and ensuring it cannot fall into the wrong hands must be a priority for those entrusted with it.