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Phishing alert to UK schools
City of London Police is warning schools across the UK to be vigilant against Phishing attacks targeting school networks.
Multiple schools have reported receiving suspicious emails containing malicious attachments that have infected their networks with malware.
Once infected, the school's email systems are used to send malicious attachments to other schools. Please read the information below on how to defend your network against phishing attacks, and what to do if your schools has already been affected.
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> What to do if your school has been a victim of ransomware or other cyber incident
1. Enact your incident management plan.
- Contact your insurance provider if your have cover.
- If you are a part of a Local Authority, please contact them as soon as possible.
2. Contact your local law enforcement and Action Fraud.
3. Contact a Cyber Incident Response (CIR) company as soon as possible. Some CIR companies certified by the National Cyber Security Centre can be found on their website.
Please be aware that speed is of critical importance during a cyber incident to help protect and recover any systems that may have been affected and help prevent further spread.
If there is a suspected personal data breach then please inform the Information Commissioner's Office either online via www.ico.org.uk or contact them via their helpline on 0303 123 1113 within 72 hours.
Further guidance on cyber security for schools can also be found on the NCSC website here.
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> Reporting
If you think you have been a victim of cyber crime, please report the incident to Action Fraud via phone (0300 123 2040) or website at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk
If you've received a suspicious email, please forward it to the NCSC's Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) at 'report@phishing.gov.uk'. More information, including advice on how to protect yourself against phishing, can be found on the NCSC website.
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CyberWEST Teachers Workshops 2024, various dates (Jan - Feb)
University of the West of England (UWE), along with University of Bristol, University of Exeter, University of Plymouth, and the Odyssey Learning Alliance (NCCE Hub), have partnered together to offer a series of regional workshops to support schools and teachers in Cyber Security Education. The initiative is supported by the National Cyber Security Centre, through the Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACE-CSE) scheme.
There are various sessions running throughout January and February, with an offer of £150 per school to support supply teacher cover for attending a workshop. You can sign up for the sessions through this form.
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Schools from every corner of the UK are invited to test their tech skills for the chance to be crowned Cyber Explorer champions!
The Cyber Explorers Cup kicked off last week (Wednesday 6 December) giving pupils between 11 and 14 years the opportunity to compete in cyber security challenges – boosting their learning in a vital technology, with the chance to win tech-related prizes which could include vouchers for schools to buy new learning materials and equipment, class trips, and opportunities for teachers and students to engage with other learning opportunities.
You can find out more information on the Cyber Explorers website.
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NCA cyber investigation leads to sanctions for hostile actors linked to Russia's FSB
The UK and allies have exposed the Russian Intelligence Services as being behind a number of attempts to interfere in UK politics and democratic processes.
Centre 18, a unit within Russia’s FSB, has been identified as being accountable for a range of cyber espionage operations targeting the UK, including high-profile parliamentarians and entities. Read more on the NCA website.
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Russian developer of Trickbot malware pleads guilty, faces 35-year sentence
According to court documents, Vladimir Dunaev, 40, was a member of a cybercriminal organisation that deployed Trickbot to steal money and install ransomware on victims’ computers. Trickbot, which was taken down last year, is believed to have stolen more than $180 million worldwide. Dunaev was extradited from South Korea to the U.S. in 2021. Read more on the U.S. Justice Department website.
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23andMe: Profiles of 6.9 million people hacked
Hackers have been able to gain access to personal information from about 6.9 million users of genetic testing company 23andMe, using customers' old passwords. Read more at BBC.
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ChatGPT tool could be abused by scammers and hackers
A ChatGPT feature allowing users to easily build their own artificial-intelligence assistants can be used to create tools for cyber-crime, a BBC News investigation has revealed. Read more at BBC.
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