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Cyber Security for Education

Cyber security for schools, academies
and multi-academy trusts.

Schools and MATs are the UK’s fastest-growing ransomware target. Pupil data, safeguarding records and staff payroll demand the same protection as any enterprise — without the enterprise price tag. SOC in a Box delivers 24/7 cyber security monitoring built for the education sector, from a single academy to a trust of fifty schools.

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The Threat Landscape

Why schools and academy trusts
are high-value targets.

The UK education sector suffered more ransomware attacks than any other public-sector category in 2024–25. Multi-academy trusts are especially vulnerable: a single compromised admin account can expose every school in the trust simultaneously.

Attackers know that schools hold sensitive pupil data, safeguarding records, SEN information and staff payroll — and that most lack a dedicated IT security team. Cyber security for schools UK is no longer optional.

Why schools are ransomware targets

Ransomware
Schools face ransomware that encrypts MIS systems, registers and safeguarding records — forcing trusts offline for weeks and risking data loss.
Phishing & BEC
Finance teams are targeted with fraudulent payment requests and invoice redirection, often timed around term-end when staff are busy.
Pupil data theft
Personal data including SEN records, medical information, free school meal status and safeguarding logs are sold on dark web marketplaces.
MAT lateral movement
Multi-academy trusts share centralised IT. One compromised school can provide attackers a path into the entire trust network.
Compliance & Data Protection

DfE cyber standards, GDPR
and safeguarding obligations.

Academy trust data protection is a governance priority. SOC in a Box helps schools and MATs meet their regulatory obligations — with evidence your board of trustees and auditors will accept.

DfE Cyber Standards

The Department for Education requires all schools to meet its cyber security standards. SOC in a Box provides the continuous monitoring and incident response capabilities those standards demand.

UK GDPR

Schools process children’s data — a special category under GDPR. Our DLP and monitoring controls help demonstrate that you have appropriate technical measures in place to protect pupil and staff personal data.

Safeguarding

KCSIE requires schools to protect safeguarding data. SOC in a Box monitors access to sensitive systems and flags anomalous behaviour — ensuring safeguarding records stay secure.

Cyber Essentials

Many funding bodies and insurers require Cyber Essentials certification. SOC in a Box includes full support for achieving and maintaining CE and CE Plus accreditation.

DfE standards, GDPR & safeguarding: what schools must have in place
What’s in the Box

Everything a school or MAT needs.
One monthly invoice.

SOC in a Box replaces the patchwork of standalone security tools with a single managed service — monitored around the clock by real analysts who understand the education sector.

Included

24/7 SOC Monitoring

Human analysts monitor your school or trust network around the clock — not just during term time. MAT cyber security monitoring that never sleeps.

Included

EmilyAI Triage

Our AI engine, in production since 2018, eliminates 92% of alert noise so analysts focus on genuine threats — not false alarms from student devices.

Included

Data Loss Prevention

Monitors and prevents sensitive data — pupil records, SEN information, safeguarding logs — from leaving your network via email, USB or cloud uploads.

Included

DecoyPulse Deception

Decoy assets planted across your network catch attackers moving laterally — with zero false positives. Ideal for detecting threats inside shared MAT infrastructure.

Included

Named Analyst

A dedicated, named security analyst who knows your trust, your network, and your risk profile. Not a ticket queue — a person you can call by name.

Included

Cyber Insurance

Cyber liability insurance included in every plan — backed by the security posture SOC in a Box provides. One less procurement headache for your trust.

Multi-Academy Trusts

Cyber security for
multi-academy trusts.

A multi-academy trust faces unique challenges: centralised IT, shared Microsoft 365 tenancies, multiple sites with varying levels of infrastructure maturity, and a single breach potentially affecting thousands of pupils across every school in the trust.

SOC in a Box is designed to monitor entire trust networks from a single pane of glass. Your named analyst understands the trust structure, tracks inter-school traffic, and provides board-of-trustees-ready reporting that satisfies both DfE requirements and your auditors.

Trust-wide visibility
Single dashboard covering every school in the trust. Monitor all sites, detect cross-school lateral movement, and report centrally to the board of trustees.
Board-ready reporting
Monthly reports your trustees can understand — Confidence Score, incidents handled, compliance status, and risk posture in plain English.
Centralised & distributed
Works with both centralised trust IT and schools with local infrastructure. Physical or virtual appliance options to suit your trust’s architecture.
DfE standards alignment
Continuous monitoring, incident response, and vulnerability management mapped directly to the Department for Education’s cyber security standards for schools.
Further Reading

Guides for schools and academy trusts.

Complete Guide

The full cyber security guide for schools and multi-academy trusts — threats, compliance, defences and a downloadable PDF.

Read the guide

Threat Landscape

Why schools and MATs are high-value ransomware targets — and the attack techniques criminals use against the education sector.

Read the article

Regulatory Obligations

DfE cyber standards, UK GDPR and KCSIE safeguarding requirements — what every school and MAT must have in place.

Read the article

Protect your school or trust.
Book a free scoping call.

30 minutes. No obligation. We’ll map your current security posture, identify the gaps, and show you exactly what SOC in a Box covers — so you can make an informed decision for your school or multi-academy trust.

Book your scoping call

5 working days to live monitoring · From £335/month · Cancel anytime