The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued nurseries and childminders specialist guidance about dealing with cyberattacks.

The news comes after South and City College Birmingham was forced to send its 13,000 pupils’ home for a week following a ransomware attack.

This move marks the first time a Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) body has given cybersecurity guidance to the early years sector.

The NCSC said that incidents affecting the education sector are becoming more common, as they have become an appealing target for cyberattacks due to the sensitive information which they hold and the payments they make.

The advice highlighted the dangers of scams looking to take advantage of Covid-19 fears and advised schools to password protect newsletters.

In addition, the advice also covered setting up strong passwords on devices and accounts, how to communicate with families safely, and dealing with suspicious messages.

Education remains a key target for cybercriminals, 35 out of 103 universities responding to a FOI by ToppLine Comms admitted to being attacked by ransomware over the past five years.

“It is paramount that early years settings have robust cyber security in place to help them communicate with children, families and staff delivering early education and childcare provision safely,” said children and families minister Vicky Ford. “Like most professions, the early years sector is increasingly reliant on technology and this new guidance will support them with protecting sensitive data and minimising the risk and detriments of a cyber security incident.

She added: “Education settings are directly responsible for their own security and data protection so I encourage all early years providers to take steps to improve their resilience online.”

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