Trust statement after cyber security attack closes Nuneaton school

The trust that runs a Nuneaton school hit by a cyber attack has issued a statement. CoventryLive reported that the whole IT system at Higham Lane School has been 'taken down' .

As a result, the school has been forced to close for the 48 hours as it has no access to any digital services including telephones, emails, servers and the school’s management system. In a message to parents and carers, the school said that it hoped to be able to re-open by Wednesday but this is being 'reviewed'.

The secondary school is part of the Central England Academy Trust (CEAT) and, in a statement, the trust said that an investigation into the 'cyber security incident' is underway. As a result, it cannot provide any further details of the attack, which took place at the weekend,

In a statement, CEAT said: "Central England Academy Trust can confirm that Higham Lane School is managing a cyber security incident that has affected access to parts of the school’s IT systems.

"Upon becoming aware of the incident, the school promptly implemented its incident response protocols, including securing systems and engaging independent cyber security specialists to investigate. Relevant authorities have been notified, and the school is cooperating fully with all appropriate agencies.

"As a precautionary measure, the school is currently closed while investigations and remediation activities are undertaken. At this stage, the school is expected to remain closed until at least Wednesday, and this will be reviewed as more information becomes available. An update will be provided to families tomorrow, and it would be inappropriate to speculate further at this time

"The school takes the privacy and security of its community seriously and is taking all reasonable steps to manage the incident and restore systems safely and as quickly as possible."

The statement concludes: "As this matter remains under investigation, no further can be made at this time."

Warwickshire County Council, which is the local education authority, has confirmed it has offered help to the trust. In a statement, the county council said: "Higham Lane School is an academy and, as such, manage their own server infrastructure and security. We are aware of the cyber attack and have contacted the school to offer any help that we might be able to offer."

Get the latest Nuneaton and Bedworth news FREE straight to your inbox