Cyber insurance for schools and academies

Any organisation that is connected to the internet needs to implement measures for cyber security. Cyber security is particularly important for schools, as they tend to hold large volumes of sensitive student and parent data and are therefore more vulnerable to a potential breach that could be subject to a fine and suffer potential reputational damage as a result.

One in five schools and colleges have fallen victim to cybercrime. Research we did in 2019 showed that 61% of independent schools had been targeted for cyber-attacks in the five years prior.

As a school whose pupil and parent data and financial information is extremely important, we know that cyber security will be a big priority as it is your responsibility to do everything in your power to prevent unauthorised access to these devices and systems.

As experts in protecting schools, Endsleigh's cyber insurance has been designed to protect your organisation from the reputational and financial fallout of a data breach.

Cyber insurance primarily protects against operational interruption losses caused by cyber events, cybercrime and privacy breaches. With Endsleigh’s cyber insurance, your school can get covered against a wide range of risks such as:

• Cyber incident response costs
• Cybercrime
• System damage and business interruption
• Network security and privacy liability
• Media liability
• Technology errors and omissions
• Court attendance costs
• And more

Without expert knowledge of the subject, cyber security can feel complex and intimidating. Yet schools remain high on the list of targets for cyber criminals, so it’s something that schools need to take control of.

From ransomware to phishing attacks, cyber issues can easily result in significant – and long-term – reputational damage for your school. Not to mention potential loss of income if worried parents decide to move children elsew

Without expert knowledge of the subject, cyber security can feel complex and intimidating. Yet schools remain high on the list of targets for cyber criminals, so it’s something that schools need to take control of.

From ransomware to phishing attacks, cyber issues can easily result in significant – and long-term – reputational damage for your school. Not to mention potential loss of income if worried parents decide to move children elsewhere.

Major cyber security risks for schools  include:

• Phishing attacks are the most common, where hackers break into a school’s IT system and, for example, contact parents with false payment details when fees are due. Unsuspecting parents duly accept the new information, with the hackers quick to close down accounts once any payments have been made.
• Ransomware involves hackers gaining access to sensitive data – such as pupil records, parents’ financial information, or even CCTV footage – and demand huge sums of money to relinquish the data, often with no guarantee once payments have been made. They can also take over individual devices or entire networks and only relinquish control once a ‘ransom’ has been paid.
• Other threats include the permanent deletion of digital files, ranging from educational resources to sensitive data.

These issues can easily result in significant – and long-term – reputational damage for your school. Not to mention potential loss of income if worried parents decide to move children elsewhere.