Summary
A report from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found that over half of the cyber attacks on schools and colleges involve students hacking systems. These incidents often begin as dares or for amusement but can lead to significant security issues. Since 2022, 57% of 215 investigated breaches were linked to student activities.
Key Facts
- The ICO reported that 57% of 215 education-related cyber incidents were carried out by students.
- Students often hack school systems for fun or as part of challenges.
- Some students used hacking tools to break into systems and compromised personal data.
- A seven-year-old involved in a data breach was referred to a program to understand the seriousness of their actions.
- Three students accessed a database with personal details of over 1,400 students using downloaded hacking tools.
- A student used teacher login details to alter or delete data for over 9,000 individuals.
- The ICO warns that this trend is part of a larger youth cyber crime culture connected to teen gangs.
- The UK's Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that 44% of schools reported an attack in the past year.
