Children's addresses leaked in cyber attack on school

A school said a cyberattack may have allowed criminals to gain access to children’s names, addresses and medical records.

Billericay School in Essex experienced a “significant critical incident” when its systems were compromised during the autumn break.

Headmaster Patrick Berry explained in a letter to parents on Monday that the contact details of parents and guardians could also have been obtained.

“At this time, we cannot be sure what specific data was accessed or exported,” Mr Berry wrote.

He apologized for the incident and stressed: “(We) are doing everything we can to strengthen our defenses against cybercrime.”

Mr Berry said the school would reopen to all pupils on Tuesday after being closed to several year groups on Monday.

The headteacher said he was working with Action Fraud to investigate the cyberattack.

According to a BBC report, 347 cyber incidents were reported in the education and childcare sector in 2023, an increase of 55% from 2022.

Government data suggests that most schools and colleges experienced cybersecurity breaches last year.

Some told the BBC that there had been temporary closures and weeks of disruption.

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Children’s addresses leaked in cyber attack on school