No Evidence of Data Compromise in School Cyber Attack, EA Confirms
The Education Authority (EA) has stated that there is no evidence indicating that data belonging to teachers or students was compromised following a cyber attack on Thursday.
The attack targeted the C2K network, which manages the IT system used by the majority of primary and secondary schools in Northern Ireland. This disruption prevented schools and pupils from logging into their accounts, thereby restricting access to work and resources provided by teachers during the critical period leading up to exams.
The C2K network is overseen by the EA.
Eve Bremner, representing the EA, reported that 80% of post-primary schools had restored online access.
"It was caught early, we've been advised it was contained, we've moved into that recovery phase now,"
she told BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.
"The other thing I think it's important to say is that while it is a live incident, our advice is telling us at the moment that there has been no evidence of data corruption or data leaving the system."
Ms Bremner expressed gratitude towards EA staff who worked tirelessly to restore the schools' systems.
"We're extremely thankful to them and to our schools for working with us over the weekend,"
she added.
Focus on Post-Primary Schools
Ms Bremner explained that the EA prioritized restoring services for post-primary schools due to the significance of the IT network for students preparing for upcoming exams.
"That hasn't excluded us working with primary schools, we've over 100 primary schools that have also been able to work with us,"
she stated.
The EA is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting for school principals this morning. The webinar will provide guidance on the necessary steps for schools to enable pupils and staff to regain access to their C2K accounts securely and promptly.
Critical Security Measures Implemented
On Thursday, schools received notification that, as part of "work to manage an IT security issue," the EA would conduct a password reset for all users.
The EA confirmed that "immediate steps" were taken to contain the incident and that a comprehensive investigation is ongoing.
Following the cyber attack, the EA implemented a full password reset across the school network as a "critical security measure."
Additionally, the education authority is collaborating with the Information Commissioner's Office and other relevant bodies as part of its response to the incident.
