The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has extended the availability of its protective DNS (domain name system) service for schools.
Following the limited launch of the service a year ago, it has been extended from local authority schools to more educational settings across the UK, taking in multi-academy trusts, academies, independent schools and internet service providers to the sector.
The new move comes after NCSC announced a partnership with cloud connectivity company Cloudflare and consultancy Accenture to deliver the broader PDNS service earlier this year.
It said the latest move means more schools – regardless of their resources or status – can now benefit from enhanced cyber resilience.
Need for protection
The organisation’s director for economy and society, Sarah Lyons, said: "With a growing range of cyber threats, it has never been more important to protect our educational environments from online threats.
“The PDNS for Schools service offers a crucial layer of protection, helping schools defend against common online threats, at no cost.
“I encourage all schools to take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen their cyber resilience and ensure a safer digital future for students and staff alike."
She said PDNS for Schools helps prevent malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, and other online threats from reaching school networks. It complements but does not replace the safeguarding filtering measures that schools should already have in place.
All education organisations can now sign up to PDNS for Schools through the My NCSC portal.
