Students linked to majority of cyberattacks in schools
11/09/2025 | ICO
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has warned that children are hacking into school computer systems, a trend the regulator claims may set them up for a life of cybercrime. An analysis of 215 personal data breach reports from the education sector between January 2022 and August 2024 revealed a concerning pattern, with students responsible for 57% of insider attacks. Where security incidents were linked to stolen login details, the ICO found that students were behind 97% of these attacks.
The ICO also identified poor data protection practices by staff as a contributing factor. In response, the regulator is urging schools to improve their cybersecurity and data protection practices, and is calling on parents to have conversations with their children about online behaviour.
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