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Cyberattack Forces South London School Closure

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

A high school in South London has announced its closure for the first half of this week due to a ransomware attack, leaving approximately 1,300 students home, as reported by The Record (TR).

The school will remain closed from 9 to 11 September, giving staff time to cleanse affected devices and prepare for the safe resumption of classes.

The ransomware attack was first detected last week when staff noticed unusual activity on the school’s IT systems, as reported by gbhackers . In response, the school’s headteacher, Aston Smith, sent a letter to parents and guardians last Friday, outlining the situation.

The letter confirms that the school has fallen victim to a cyber-attack, though the extent of the data breach remains unclear. There is a possibility that all information held by the school may have been compromised. A cybersecurity company has been brought in to investigate the incident, but it could take up to three weeks before the systems are fully restored.

In the meantime, parents are urged to be vigilant against suspicious emails. All students’ accounts have been disabled as a precaution, but communications with teachers will continue through alternative platforms.

Ransomware attacks targeting educational institutions have become increasingly common worldwide. Schools are often vulnerable due to outdated security measures and limited cybersecurity resources, as highlighted by Cybersecurity News .

The 2024 State of Ransomware in Education report by ThreatDown noted a 92% spike in attacks, especially on K-12 institutions, posing a significant risk to educational activities.

Halcyon notes that ransomware groups target the education sector due to its vulnerabilities, especially in underfunded schools. These institutions often rely on outdated security solutions, which are ineffective against modern ransomware tactics.

Even with improved tools, many schools struggle to manage them due to a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, leaving them exposed to attacks, as noted by Halcyon.

Halcyon further states that the impact of these breaches extends beyond disruption, with stolen student and staff data leading to long-term risks like identity theft.

Many ransomware groups use a dual-extortion model, leveraging stolen data to pressure schools into paying ransoms. Schools, already constrained by limited budgets, are ill-equipped to handle such complex threats, notes Halcyon.

Halcyon suggests that to combat this, there must be increased investment in advanced security technologies and the recruitment of skilled cybersecurity professionals. Without these resources, schools will remain vulnerable to sophisticated ransomware operations, threatening both their operations and the personal security of students and staff.

This attack on the South London school mirrors similar incidents that have recently affected major London public institutions like the NHS and Transport For London . The rise in cyber-attacks on educational and public sector organizations underscores the need for stronger cybersecurity defenses.

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Online News Officially Overtakes TV as the Most Popular Source in the U.K.

• Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
• Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

A new research by the Office of Communications (Ofcom) revealed that online news has overtaken TV news bulletins in the United Kingdom.

According to The Guardian , Ofcom performed its annual survey on news habits, and 71% of the population said they watch the news through online services, a 3% increase compared to the previous year. It’s a slightly higher percentage compared to the adult population who included using the television, which was 70%, but it is the first time online content surpasses television in the traditional survey. This phenomenon has been described as a “generational shift in the balance of news media.”

“Television has dominated people’s news habits since the 60s, and it still commands really high trust. But we’re witnessing a generational shift to online news, which is often seen as less reliable,” said Ofcom’s head of strategy and research, Yih-Choung Teh.

Social media consumption also increased, 52% of adults in the UK noted that they use social media channels to get informed. Last year the percentage was 47%, and its growth has raised concern.

“It’s worrying that social media is being increasingly used as a news source. It’s not just a problem for journalists, it’s a problem for all of us. And once a fake story is out there, it’s almost impossible to correct. I know, I’ve tried. Good luck trying to get anything taken down from X,” wrote BBC journalist Fiona Bruce for the Radio Times.

The study considers a younger population as well. For teenagers between 12 to 15 years old, TikTok is the main news source, for those between 16 and 24 years old is Instagram the platform they use the most to learn news.

While journalists in the UK find find “worrying” that social media is the main news source, in countries like Venezuela where there is tightened control over media , social media has become the most reliable source.