For many independent schools, cyber security has traditionally been seen as part of the day-to-day IT function: an important but largely behind-the-scenes responsibility. Systems are maintained, security tools are in place, and staff are able to work without disruption. When things appear to be running smoothly, it’s understandable to feel confident that existing arrangements are doing their job.
However, the context schools are operating in has continued to evolve. In 2026, education sector cyber risk is shaped by greater use of cloud systems, increased remote access, and a growing number of third-party platforms that support teaching, safeguarding, and administration. These changes have gradually expanded the digital footprint of schools, often without attracting much attention at the leadership level. As a result, cyber security now sits much closer to safeguarding, data protection, and overall resilience. This makes it less of a purely technical issue and more a matter of preparedness and confidence in whether current school IT security remains fit for purpose.
Why Independent Schools Are Becoming More Attractive Targets
Independent schools have always taken data protection and safeguarding seriously. What has changed is the amount of sensitive information that’s now held digitally and how central technology has become to daily school life. As systems and platforms have expanded, so too has the school’s digital footprint – making schools more visible within the wider landscape of cyber threats facing schools.
High-Value Data Is Part of Everyday Operations
Schools manage safeguarding records, SEN information, staff and pupil data, financial details, and parent communications. This information is essential to school operations and central to data protection in schools, making it particularly important to protect.
Complex Access Brings New Challenges
Modern school environments involve multiple users, devices, and third-party platforms. While this flexibility supports teaching and administration, it can make maintaining consistent school network security more difficult without regular oversight.
The Impact Goes Beyond IT
When a cyber incident occurs, the effects can extend beyond systems. Disruption to learning, safeguarding processes, and trust with parents and staff means safeguarding and cyber security are now closely connected, which reinforces the need for clear understanding and leadership oversight of school IT security.
How Cyber Risk Has Shifted (Often Without Schools Noticing)
The way schools use technology has evolved steadily over time. Cloud services, remote access, and specialist platforms have brought clear benefits to teaching, administration, and safeguarding. However, together they have also reshaped school IT security in ways that are not always immediately visible at leadership level.
Remote access is now routine: Staff and third parties increasingly access school systems from outside the school network, whether during holidays, from home, or while travelling. This flexibility supports modern working practices, but it also extends risk beyond the physical school environment.
Cloud systems expand the digital footprint: Core platforms such as MIS, safeguarding, and finance systems are now cloud-based. While these services offer resilience, schools remain responsible for how access is managed and how data is protected, making regular review essential.
Third-party platforms introduce shared risk: Learning tools, payment systems, and specialist providers all form part of the wider technology ecosystem. Each connection brings shared responsibility, and understanding how these systems interact is a key part of any effective school IT risk assessment.
Why “Nothing Has Happened Yet” Is No Longer a Reliable Measure of Safety
For many schools, confidence in their current approach to cyber security comes from experience. Systems have remained available, data has not been compromised, and daily operations have continued without disruption. In that context, it’s understandable to feel that existing protections are effective.
The challenge is that modern cyber incidents are not always immediately visible. According to a report by IBM, phishing attacks last an average of 261 days, which highlights just how long it can take to identify breaches. Increasingly, attackers aim to gain quiet access rather than cause obvious disruption, which means risk is not always reflected in past events. At the same time, cyber threats facing schools continue to evolve, while technology environments rarely stand still.
This is why relying solely on historical experience can leave gaps in understanding. A cyber security audit for schools helps leadership teams move beyond assumptions by:
- Testing whether existing controls still match today’s risk landscape
- Highlighting exposure created by changes in access, systems, or suppliers
- Providing clearer visibility into the school’s overall security posture
Used in this way, an audit is not a response to failure but a practical way to confirm that school IT security remains appropriate and fit for purpose.
Cyber Security, Safeguarding, and Governance Are Now Closely Connected
As technology becomes more central to school operations, cyber security increasingly overlaps with safeguarding, data protection in schools, and governance responsibilities. The systems schools rely on every day also hold highly sensitive information, making cyber risk part of the school’s wider duty of care.
For senior leaders and governors, this means oversight now extends beyond having the right tools in place. There’s a growing need to understand how systems are accessed, how data is protected, and how cyber risk is reviewed over time. A structured school IT risk assessment supports this oversight, helping leadership teams demonstrate that cyber security is being managed as a core element of safeguarding, resilience, and accountability – not simply an IT concern.
Why Reassessment Matters in 2026 – and What Schools Should Do Next
The way schools use technology has evolved, and with it, the nature of cyber risk. Systems that were appropriate when first implemented may no longer reflect how data is accessed, shared, or protected today. This doesn’t mean existing approaches are failing, but it does mean they should be revisited in light of how school environments have changed.
In 2026, confidence in school IT security increasingly comes from clarity rather than assumption. A cyber security assessment for schools provides leadership teams with a structured view of current risk, highlighting where protections remain strong and where adjustments may be needed to support safeguarding, data protection, and operational resilience.
Our Cyber Security Review is designed to support this process at a leadership level. It helps schools understand whether their current arrangements are still fit for purpose, providing informed insight rather than technical complexity. By reassessing now, you can move forward with confidence, knowing your approach to cyber security reflects today’s realities and responsibilities. Book your Cyber Security Review today and take the first step towards securing your school.
