More than 320,000 files stolen in a Cyberattack on Bristol City Council’s schools system have been found on the dark web. The council said the files came from 39 schools that use its Trading with Schools platform, which was breached in September.
Headteachers have been told about the publication and are providing guidance to families at affected schools. Vik Verma, the council’s director of education, said officers were reviewing the material to establish what it contains and would update families in due course.
Malicious software infiltrated the platform on 21 September. The council became aware of the attack four days later and shut the system down on 25 September. Trading with Schools is used by 88 schools under the council’s umbrella; 49 use it only to purchase internet services, while the other 39 depend on it for tasks including scheduling, lesson planning, staff records and payroll. The platform can also hold sensitive information about children, including educational psychology files.
Since the system was taken offline, many schools have been unable to use their phones, while teachers have faced longer working hours as they seek alternative ways to deliver lessons.
The council said its investigation is focused on identifying what information may have been affected and whether it relates to pupils or their families. Verma said schools, families and staff were being given practical advice, and urged people to be cautious of unexpected messages, emails and calls.
Guidance for families and school staff includes avoiding links and attachments in unexpected messages, being wary of requests for passwords or personal and financial details, using strong, unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication where available. People are also advised to monitor accounts and bank statements for unusual activity. Suspicious emails can be reported to report@phishing.gov.uk, and suspicious text messages to 7726.
The South West Regional Organised Crime Unit is investigating the attack.
Sources: BBC News UK.