Protecting your school from fraud and cybercrime
Latest research on the risks impacting independent schools
Research undertaken by Crowe, KYND and University of Portsmouth’s Centre for Counter Fraud Studies found that many of the 200 Independent Schools we studied have significant unaddressed cyber risks. Unfortunately the risks identified aren't exceptions to the norm and are likely to exist in many other schools. Read our report to consider if your school could be similarly affected.
The cyber landscape is becoming increasingly complex. An alarming fact when coupled with a survey undertaken in 2019 which found that 61% of UK Independent Schools have been targeted for cyber-attacks in the last five years.
Keeping pace with the evolution of cyber threats is even more challenging and important during such an uncertain period for the sector. The impact, both on a schools finances and reputation, could be significant.
Our research to establish how vulnerable 200 Independent Schools are to cybercrime found that:
- 99% were exposed to email spoofing.
- 34% have at least one external internet service exposed, placing them at higher risk of ransomware attack.
- 60% were using services with well-known vulnerability to cyber-attack.
- 14% were using vulnerable out of date software.
- 32% were operating with at least one expired, revoked, or distrusted security certificate.
- 33% had at least on domain registered to a personal email address.
Download the full report for further detail regarding the findings and case studies and examples of when schools and other organisations have been affected.
What actions should you take?
If you are concerned the findings of this research relate to your school, Crowe can provide the independent verification necessary to ensure you are protected. We can help you to:
- obtain comprehensive insight into your school’s cyber risk exposure
- address specific vulnerabilities in your externally facing IT infrastructure that could be exploited by hackers
- identify whether any of your school’s email addresses have been compromised take actions to prevent exploitation of potential cyber risks.
Webinar: fixing common cyber vulnerabilities in schools
Tuesday 29 September 2020 | 9:30 – 10:30 am
Register to join our free webinar where we will discuss the cybercrime risks facing schools and preventative measures that can be put in place to protect them. We will cover:
- common cyber attacks
- identifying areas of vulnerability
- how to prevent and manage risk.
Download: Protecting your school from fraud and cybercrime
Please complete the fields to receive the full download of our report
If you would like to discuss the findings of the report and how we can support your business, please contact Jim Gee, Partner, National Head of Forensic Services.