Billericay School Forced to Close After Cyber Attack
A school in Billericay, Essex, Great Britain, was compelled to close after being hit by a large-scale cyber attack that severely damaged its internal systems. According to a report by the BBC, the attack caused the compromise of all IT systems of the school through intricate encryption, rendering them inaccessible.
Parents received a notification that the school would be closed to all students on Monday, June 3. The school’s principal, Mr. P. Berry, communicated through a mass email to parents and students, stating that the attack had significantly affected the school’s ability to manage its operations safely and efficiently.
Mr. Berry mentioned that the IT specialists were actively working to resolve the issue and had made substantial progress in restoring the necessary systems. However, the current situation prompted the temporary closure of the school to enable teachers to devise alternative teaching methods without access to resources stored in the school system.
While final exams for high school students will continue as scheduled, the director assured that the school would provide all necessary classes. Despite the additional challenges faced by families due to the closure, Mr. Berry emphasized the importance of ensuring the school’s ability to function securely under the circumstances.
No specific details regarding the nature of the attack or potential data theft were disclosed. Nevertheless, the communication hinted at an attack involving malware that encrypted computers, thus blocking access to the school systems.
In recent years, many schools in the UK have fallen victim to data breaches caused by ransomware attacks. Instances of hackers leaking stolen data on the Internet have been recorded when redemption demands were unmet. Notably, incidents such as the publication of sensitive information from 14 schools by the Vice Society group last year and attacks on multiple British schools in September have highlighted the vulnerability of educational institutions to such cyber threats.