Safeguarding Learning:
Cyber Security for Educational Trusts

Keeping Schools Cyber Secure: Protecting the Future of Education

working on cyber security projects

Mitigate the Risks

In today's digital age, schools and trusts rely heavily on technology for teaching, learning and administration. This increased reliance also brings increased risks.

Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and schools hold a treasure trove of sensitive data, from student records and staff information to financial details. A cyberattack can have devastating consequences, disrupting education, compromising privacy and damaging a school's reputation. Ensuring robust cybersecurity is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.

school cyber security matters

Meeting DfE Requirements: The Importance of Audit and Compliance

The Department for Education (DfE) recognises the critical importance of cybersecurity in schools and mandates certain standards for data protection and system security. Regular IT security audits and compliance checks are essential to meet these requirements and demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding sensitive information. Failure to comply can result in penalties and further jeopardise the security of school data. We’ve experienced increased growth with our routine audits to ensure schools meet this requirement.

The Stakes are High: Why School Cyber Security Matters

Cybercriminals increasingly target schools due to the valuable data they hold and the likelihood of them paying out to get back their data. A successful attack can lead to:

  • Data breaches: Sensitive student and staff data, including addresses, medical information, and academic records, can be exposed, leading to identity theft and potential harm.

  • Disruption of learning: Ransomware attacks can cripple school systems, preventing access to essential resources, online learning platforms and even email communication, causing significant disruption to the educational process.

  • Financial loss: Schools can incur significant costs recovering from a cyberattack, including IT repairs, legal fees and potential fines.

  • Reputational damage: A cyberattack can severely damage a school's reputation, eroding trust among parents, students, and the wider community.

Our Services

cyber security reporting

Born out of audit and compliance, Censor Security has a strong reputation within the academy sector as a leading provider of IT Security Audits for Academic Trusts.

Our mission is to empower our clients with the confidence and tools their teams need to protect their schools' data from ever-emerging threats. We understand the unique challenges faced by educational institutions and offer tailored services to help schools adapt to evolving cyber risks, strengthen their resilience, and meet DfE compliance requirements.

Censor Security: Your Partner in Cybersecurity

  • A risk assessment helps you understand the specific threats facing your school and prioritise your security efforts. We identify potential weaknesses in your infrastructure and provide recommendations for mitigating those risks.

    View The Scope

  • Regular security audits are crucial for identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring ongoing compliance. Our secure routine audits provide a thorough assessment of your systems and processes, highlighting areas for improvement and helping you maintain a strong security baseline.

    We work with multiple education trusts and share real time risks with your teams to ensure are prepared and have correct measures are in place.

  • We help schools prepare and undertake Cyber Essentials certification, a UK government-backed scheme that demonstrates a commitment to cybersecurity.
    We conduct a thorough gap analysis to identify any areas where your current security measures fall short of the Cyber Essentials requirements.
    We provide a clear roadmap to help you close those gaps and achieve certification, demonstrating your commitment to protecting sensitive data and building trust with parents and the wider community.

  • Following each audit, we provide clear, actionable recommendations to address identified vulnerabilities and improve your security posture. We prioritise these recommendations based on risk level and provide guidance on implementation. Our goal is to help you secure your school's systems by utilising the best technology available to meet and exceed industry standards and DfE requirements. This includes guidance on selecting and implementing appropriate security solutions, as well as best practices for ongoing maintenance and management.

  • Our internal security reviews delve into your school's policies, procedures, and staff training to cultivate a robust security culture. We help identify potential insider threats, both malicious and accidental, by analysing access controls, data handling, and staff awareness. We review data protection policies, staff training needs, GDPR compliance, and access management, providing recommendations to protect sensitive data, maintain trust, and ensure smooth school operations.

  • External vulnerability scans identify weaknesses in your network perimeter that could be exploited by attackers. We proactively scan your systems for vulnerabilities and provide detailed reports to help you address them before they can be compromised.

  • Censor Security provide internal vulnerability scanning at a fraction of the cost of big names like Nessus and Qualys. Our service proactively identifies security flaws within your systems by comparing your current setup against the CVE database, providing you with a clear picture of your risk profile.

  • We offer engaging, interactive e-learning modules covering everything from phishing awareness and password best practices to data protection and social engineering tactics. Need a phishing test conducting, we test staff and report direct the findings.

  • We continuously monitor your network, both internally and externally, to detect and address security threats before they impact your business. This includes checking for suspicious activity like elevated admin rights, open ports, and software vulnerabilities. We integrate with your existing security tools (e.g., Office 365, Windows Defender) for comprehensive protection at an affordable price

How Censor Security Can Help

Case Studies

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Creative Education Trust

Established in 2010, the Creative Education Trust (CET), a network of 17 schools, partnered with Censor Security to strengthen their cybersecurity. Over the past 8 years, we've helped CET develop robust, trust-wide security practices, safeguarding pupils, data, and staff with the latest technology.

Two Counties Trust

The Two Counties Trust (TTCT), comprising nine secondary schools, engaged Censor Security to improve cybersecurity and oversee an IT management transition. Censor Security's thorough audit of all schools identified key areas for improvement, enabling TCT to strengthen school safety

Free Resources for Schools

Discover free resources to enhance cybersecurity in schools and educational trusts. These materials help provide best practices, risk assessment tools and training programs to safeguard sensitive information. Strengthen your trusts security and foster a culture of cyber awareness for a safer learning environment.

  • AD Tidy - Search your Active Directory domain for user/computer accounts that are no longer in use by filtering based on last logon time, DNS record timestamp, and much more. You can then perform a number of actions on the accounts that were found - such as moving them to another OU, disabling them, setting a random password, removing them from all groups, and much more.

    DOWNLOAD HERE

  • Get Local Admins - Ever wanted to see who actually has local Administrator permissions on all of your workstations and servers?Simply enter the names of the computers you want to scan (or import them from Active Directory or a text file), and the application will show you who is a member of the local Administrators group on each of them - optionally including members of nested groups within the Administrators.

    DOWNLOAD HERE

  • The NCSC has produced free cyber security training to raise awareness and help school staff manage some of the key cyber threats facing schools.

    WATCH ON YOTUBE

  • Curious about your school's external security posture? Censor Security offers a free, no-obligation external vulnerability scan to help you identify potential weaknesses in your network perimeter. Our scan checks for publicly accessible vulnerabilities that could be exploited by cybercriminals, giving you a valuable insight into your current security risks. Just contract us below