Ofqual is urging schools and colleges to prioritize cyber security after a recent poll revealed the risks associated with inadequate cyber hygiene.

The reminder comes following a Teacher Tapp survey, which found that 1 in 3 secondary school teachers did not receive cyber security training in the past academic year.

Amanda Swann, Ofqual’s Executive Director of General Qualifications, emphasized the impact of poor cyber security on students, stating:

“Losing coursework that students have spent countless hours on is devastating. It's even more distressing to lose the work of an entire class or year group due to weak cyber security measures in school or college IT systems."

While many institutions take cyber security seriously, Swann noted that the survey highlights the need for further improvements. She encouraged schools and colleges to utilize the National Cyber Security Centre’s resource guide to better defend against cyber attacks.

The poll, which surveyed teachers across England, also uncovered the following findings:

- 34% of schools and colleges in England experienced a cyber incident during the last academic year.

- The most common type of attack, affecting 23% of schools, was due to phishing.

- The North West was hit hardest, with 40% of schools reporting a cyber incident, compared to 28% in the East of England.

- 20% of affected schools could not recover immediately, with 4% taking more than half a term to fully recover.

- 9% of headteachers described the attack as critically damaging.

- 1 in 3 teachers had no cyber security training in the past year; of the two-thirds who did, 66% found the training useful.

Ofqual continues to stress the importance of proactive cyber security measures to safeguard students’ work and ensure smooth school operations. Photo by Blogtrepreneur, Wikimedia commons.