A Bristol primary school has been the victim of a cyberattack in which criminals are believed to have exported records from the school’s database. This is the second incident to affect the school after a serious breach occurred last month in which 88 schools were targeted.
Bristol City Council has confirmed that records from Southville Primary School were targeted and exported in a cyber-attack. The council has stated it believes the attack was likely carried out by the same criminals responsible for the major incident that occurred last month, though this is yet to be confirmed, and this secondary attack on Southville Primary School is being investigated separately.
At the end of September, the internet system “Trading With Schools” that manages the internet across 87 schools in the city, and operated by Bristol City Council, was hacked. The system was turned off by council chiefs following the attack which left schools across the city without internet which caused major disruption to lessons and teacher planning for a prolonged period.
Over 80 schools were affected by the attack, though it is believed the majority of them are now believed to be back online. There is no evidence any data was exported during this first incident.
Southville Primary School has unfortunately become the victim of a second cyber-attack in which school records are believed to have been exported. Parents were informed of the data breach at around 4pm on Oct. 13.
The incident has since been reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and Bristol City Council have said they are working with cyber security experts to investigate the circumstances of the hacking and its consequences.
The reporting of a second cyber-attack targeting schools has naturally become of great concern to parents of children in the city.
The council has reassured those affected that an investigation by the council, specialist cyber security experts and the Regional Organised Crime Unit has been launched to establish how a second attack took place in such short succession after the first, and what can be done to prevent further incidents occurring.
Christine Townsend, chair of Bristol City Council’s children and young people committee, made the following statement about the Southville Primary School cyber-attack:
“I know that news of any cyber incident involving a school will be worrying for parents, carers, staff and the wider community. My thoughts are with everyone affected, particularly the Southville Primary School community, as they come to terms with this incident and await the outcome of the ongoing investigation.”
Following the major disruption to school operations, she stated that schools had been and would continue to adapt to the changing circumstances of the incident whilst school access to the internet was limited, and thanked staff for their efforts.
Townsend reaffirmed that the council’s priority was to support schools and their children as well as ensuring parents and guardians were kept as informed with the latest updates as possible whilst the investigation progressed.
