Cyber attack hits IT system for Northern Ireland schools

By Grainne Ni Aodha, Press Association

An IT system used by pupils in Northern Ireland has been hit by a cyber attack, the Education Authority (EA) said.

The EA said it was taking the incident “very seriously” and apologised for the impact on pupils who may be preparing for exams over the Easter break.

It said that user passwords are being reset over the Easter weekend, with priority given to students at post-primary schools who are due to sit exams.

“We understand and sincerely apologise for the impact on staff and pupils; particularly pupils who may be preparing for exams or completing coursework during the Easter period,” it said.

The C2K school system, provided by Capita, is used as a curriculum support.

The EA said it could not yet confirm whether personal data had been compromised and it was engaging with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

“We can confirm that the C2K school system has been the target of a cyber attack,” an EA spokesman said.

“As soon as we became aware of the incident, the system managers, Capita, took immediate steps to contain the issue and begin a full investigation.

“The investigation is at an early stage, and we are not yet able to confirm whether any personal data has been affected.

“We are taking this very seriously and are engaging with the Information Commissioner’s Office and relevant authorities as part of our response.

“As a critical security measure, a full password reset has been carried out across the school network.

It initially said that as Capita was conducting further security tests, the system could not be accessed.

On Friday afternoon, it said the EA and Capita had begun to reset user passwords for staff and pupils.

“This will continue over the weekend,” it said.

“Priority is being given to post-primary schools, particularly those supporting pupils in examination years, with progress being tracked throughout the process.

“Dedicated support is in place, including over the weekend, to assist schools and address any issues as they arise.

“We recognise the disruption this situation has caused for schools, staff, pupils and parents, and we will continue to provide updates as restoration work progresses.

“We would like to thank schools and all of our partners for their invaluable help and support at this time.”