The Department for Education (DfE) is working on a cyber security tool for schools, one of its ministers has told the House of Lords.
Baroness Berridge provided the information in an answer to a question from Lord Taylor on what steps the government is taking to protect education institutions from cyber attacks.
The minister said it is developing a self-assesment tool for schools to help identify areas of potential weakness and what steps can be taken to mitigate cyber risks. It is aiming to make it available for the next academic year.
She said the DfE has also been working with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on updating advice and guidance on the issue, including information for the school governors’ handbook.
This comes shortly after the NCSC announced there has been a spike in cyber attacks on the education sector and published new guidance for schools on how to mitigate the risks.
Baroness Berridge added: “Education settings are directly responsible for their own levels of security and data protection and need to ensure they have the appropriate security protections in place to safeguard their systems, data, staff and students.
“The department encourages all leadership in education to ensure institutional resilience, by taking proactive steps and following advice and guidance.”
Image from iStock, Henrik Jonsson
