Schools & MATs

AI-manipulated images of smiling children, symbolizing the urgent online safety risks for schools

Guardians of Privacy: Social Media, Privacy, Children and the AI Threat

This article combines guidance from the Guardians of Privacy series, produced by Data Protection Education in collaboration with Litus Digital, with urgent new advice issued in May 2026 following confirmed blackmail attempts against UK schools using AI-manipulated images of children. Key sources include the UK Safer Internet Centre (8 May 2026) and the Internet Watch Foundation.

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Department for Education's Cyber Security Hub graphic, showing digital protection for schools against cyber threats.

What School Leaders Need to Know About the DfE's New Cyber Security Hub

Cyber attacks on schools are no longer a distant threat. The Department for Education (DfE) has just launched a dedicated Cyber Security Hub to help schools navigate this growing danger, and as a school leader, it's worth understanding exactly what it offers and why it matters.  If you were at our conference in February you were lucky enough to see a preview of the tool!

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Modern visitor management system for schools, balancing safeguarding, data protection, and DfE

Visitor Management: A Guide for Schools

Navigating the entry requirements for educational settings can sometimes be confusing for both the school and the visitor.  To ensure a smooth, secure, and legally compliant process, it is essential to balance safeguarding requirements with data protection principles and DfE guidance.

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DfE Digital Standards guidance for Wi-Fi networks, highlighting new Wi-Fi 7 and Wi

Wireless Network Standards for Schools & Colleges: What's New?

The DfE Wireless Networks is part of the DfE Digital Standards guidance and has recently been updated to include references to Wi-Fi7. You must check with this standard before you plan any Wi-Fi upgrades!

What's New?

There is a now clear guidance that specifies that any new wireless solution or upgrade must, at a minimum, meet the Wi-Fi 8 standard.

What is Wi-Fi 7?

Wi-Fi 7 provides significantly higher throughput and lower latency. In a classroom where 30 students might si

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  1. Handling Subject Access Requests (SARs) - at the end of term
  2. Holiday Cheer or Cyber Fear? : Essential Pre-holiday Checks
  3. How should schools manage paper archives?
  4. Navigating the Redaction Divide: SAR or PEX?
  5. What type of request have you received? SAR? Educational Record? Or FOI?
  6. Leavers' Memorabilia
  7. Sharing photos on World Book Day: Privacy considerations
  8. The DSL’s Guide to Filtering and Monitoring
  9. The Danger of the 'Data Dump': Why more information isn't always better!
  10. Cyber Alert: Surrey and Sussex Schools Targeted by Phishing and Ransomware Attacks
  11. Parents and students covertly recording conversations
  12. New DfE AI Standards
  13. Is your IT Support Provider Compliant?
  14. The Government Cyber Action Plan
  15. School Cyber Attack: Higham Lane School Hit by Major Cyber Attack: Campus Remains Closed
  16. What does the technology in schools survey tell us?
  17. IT Support Standards for Schools and Colleges Guidance (DfE Digital Standards)
  18. Sharing information to safeguard children and young people in the education sector in the UK
  19. October 31. On the road to improving cyber resilience
  20. October 30. Cyber Support
  21. October 29. Admin Controls & Accounts
  22. October 28. Phishing: Don't Take the Bait!
  23. October 27. Passwords
  24. October 26. Physical Security of Digital Assets
  25. October 25. Server Security: Protecting Your Digital Core
  26. October 24. Backups: Your Recovery Safety Net
  27. October 23. Filtering and Monitoring
  28. October 22. Hardware: Printers
  29. October 21. Hardware: Asset Management
  30. October 20. Hardware: Safe disposal
  31. October 19. Anti-virus/anti-malware
  32. October 18. Regular Updates: Patching Against Threats
  33. October 17. Access Control: Managing User Privileges
  34. October 16. Access Control: Securing Your Digital Gateways (Wi-Fi & Networks)
  35. October 15. Access Control: Securing Your Home Office (Working From Home)
  36. October 14. Access Control : (Multi-factor authentication)
  37. We've teamed up on a podcast with the Small Business Cyber Security Guy
  38. October 13. Cyber Security Awareness
  39. October 12. Training: Empowering your human firewall
  40. October 11. Policies and Procedures: Cyber Blueprint
  41. October 10. Understanding Your Cyber Posture
  42. Time's Ticking: Windows 10 support ends in October 2025!
  43. October 9. A Guide for Education Providers
  44. October 8. How Can Your Organisation Prevent Ransomware Attacks?
  45. October 7: Under Attack: The Reality of Ransomware
  46. October 6: Cyber Action Plan and A Roadmap to Resilience
  47. October 5: Cyber Responsibilities - We're All in This Together
  48. October 4: When a Cyber Attack Hits
  49. October 3: Data Security, the Core of Protection
  50. October 2: Privacy Protection & Safeguarding Personal Data
  51. October 1: Welcome to Cyber Security Awareness Month!
  52. Nursery Cyber attack
  53. Fraud awareness from the DfE
  54. The Classroom's Dark Side: Cyber crime from the Classroom
  55. Data Breach: School sends out names and contact details in a spreadsheet.
  56. KCSIE 2025: Data Protection, AI, and Cyber Security
  57. The Online SCR Data Breach: What You Need to Know
  58. Back to School Basics for Data Protection and Cyber Security Compliance
  59. The Latest Cyber Threat: The "Murky Panda"
  60. Building a Secure School: Using the ICO Accountability Framework to Meet DfE Digital Standards
  61. Why Physical and Data Security Must Go Hand-In-Hand
  62. Digital Safeguarding: DfE announces statutory DfE Digital Standards
  63. The Data Protection Lead/Champion Role
  64. Changes to the Academy Trust Handbook 2025
  65. School closes for two days after cyber incident
  66. Social Media Day 2025
  67. How Ofsted looks at AI during inspection and regulation
  68. Data Breaches 2025 Report Highlights
  69. Not everyone needs access: The Key to Protecting Sensitive Data
  70. School cyber attack: Outwood Academy, Middlesbrough
  71. Alert: Schools receiving Microsoft File Sharing Phishing Emails
  72. School cyber attack: Framlingham College, Suffolk
  73. West Lothian Schools in Cyber Attack
  74. A Wake-Up Call for Cyber Vigilance - Danger in the Threat Landscape for Everyone
  75. New Governor Resources
  76. Are teachers using AI? 83% say its a time-saver
  77. DfE Digital Standards - narrowing the digital divide
  78. Arbor AI - On By Default
  79. DfE Guidance: Choosing a new MIS
  80. Short Guide to AI Video
  81. Safer Internet Day, Cyber Security & Data Protection
  82. The Cyber Resilience Championship
  83. The Multiple Dimensions of Supplier Due Diligence
  84. School shares sensitive pupil information as part of an FOI response
  85. Blacon High School Cyber Attack
  86. WhatsApp and FOI's: ICO Warnings
  87. New AI Guidance from the DfE
  88. What the proposed Government legislative proposal around cyber crime means
  89. DfE update to record keeping and management
  90. Update to data sharing for school immunisation programmes
  91. SLT Digital Lead Profile
  92. The role of governors in cyber security and data protection
  93. Navigating Privacy at the End of Term , Special Occasions and End of Year
  94. South East Technological University has experienced a cyber incident
  95. Safeguarding Identity in Microsoft 365: Protecting the UK Education Sector Against Cyber Threats
  96. Cyber Attack on a Special School
  97. Stealing children's data
  98. Ofqual highlights the value of cyber security training in schools
  99. Fylde Coast Academy Trust Cyber Attack This Week
  100. Calling all IT leads in schools and mult academy trusts!
  101. Ransomware cyber attack on a school in Bromley
  102. School hit by Cyber Attack
  103. DfE Digital Standards for Schools and Colleges Tracker
  104. Schools and Trusts Best Practice Area
  105. ESFA Cyber Essentials Requirement for Colleges from 2024/2025
  106. ICO Reprimands a School
  107. Out of date technology
  108. Data Retention and the Pupil File
  109. Have you assigned your SLT Digital Lead yet?
  110. What's a Cyber Incident and what should we do?
  111. Getting Started with AI (Artificial Intelligence)
  112. Cyber attack on a school during half term
  113. The rise of cyber attacks in schools are causing pupils to miss classes
  114. Cyber attack on a Trust; the aftermath
  115. School Focus: The Vale Federation | Aylesbury
  116. DfE Dealing with Subject Access Requests (SARs) Guidance
  117. Update to the Guidance on Information Sharing from the DfE
  118. Product Focus on Checklists : Initial Trust Plan
  119. Product Focus on Checklists : End of Term Checklist
  120. Product Focus on Checklists : Social Media
  121. Product Focus on Checklists : Lettings
  122. Milk Island: The secret location that allows children to view restricted content on Google Maps
  123. Free Cyber help, advice and training with the Cyber Resilience Centres
  124. The Perils of Paper: The Printing Vulnerability
  125. Product Focus on Checklists : Governors and Data
  126. Product Focus on Checklists : Site Moves
  127. Cyber attack on a University
  128. Product Focus on Checklists : Bring your own device
  129. Product Focus on Checklists : Working out of school/offsite
  130. Cyber Attack on a School
  131. Major cyber-criminal gang Lockbit brought down by UK Law Enforcement
  132. Product Focus on Checklists : Photos and video
  133. Safer Internet Day 2024
  134. Kent Councils Data Breach
  135. Free cyber training for staff
  136. DfE Digital Standards Update
  137. ClassCharts Possible Data Breach
  138. School Focus: St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School | Brighton
  139. Guardians of Privacy: 16. Social Media Checklist
  140. Guardians of Privacy: 15. Navigating Social Media in Educational Settings Summary
  141. Guardians of Privacy: 14. Social Media and Cyber Bullying
  142. Guardians of Privacy: 13. Social Media, Copyright and Intellectual Property
  143. Guardians of Privacy: 12. Social Media and Going Viral
  144. Guardians of Privacy: 11. Staff Social Media Accounts
  145. Guardians of Privacy: 10. Social Media and Cookies
  146. Guardians of Privacy: 9. Social Media and Morality
  147. New Resources for Schools from the ICO
  148. Guardians of Privacy: 8. Social Media Policies
  149. Guardians of Privacy: 7. Social Media Data Retention
  150. Guardians of Privacy: 6. Posting Safely
  151. Guardians of Privacy: 5. Social Media and Consent
  152. Guardians of Privacy: 4. Social Media Access Control
  153. Guardians of Privacy: 3. Social Media Channels
  154. Guardians of Privacy: 2. Law and Regulations
  155. Phishing attacks targeting schools - alert from City of London Police
  156. The ICO reprimands a Multi Academy Trust
  157. Guidance for the use of school email and applying email retention in schools
  158. Data Protection Tips for Early Years Settings
  159. Trust Initial Plan Checklist Update
  160. Update on Advisory for Rhysida Ransomware
  161. Trust Initial Plan for Data Protection Compliance (for Multi Academy Trusts)
  162. Google for Education Resources: Helping IT Admins meet DfE digital and technology standards
  163. Lettings Best Practice and Guidance
  164. The UK Online Safety Bill becomes an Act (Law)
  165. Considerations when migrating to a new MIS
  166. The importance of software updates (PaperCut vulnerability and Rhysida ransomware)
  167. Public bodies and sensitive data
  168. ICO: 10 Step guide to sharing information to safeguard children
  169. Email and Security: ICO recent guidance
  170. Social Media Policy
  171. Data Protection and Cyber Security (Inset Day) Training Ideas
  172. Changes to Microsoft Free Licensing for Schools
  173. What to do in the event of a Cyber Attack
  174. How KCSIE is linked to Cyber Strategy
  175. VICE SOCIETY - Ransomware attacks on schools
  176. Using Tags if you are a group of organisations in the DPE Knowledge Bank
  177. Cyber Insurance in the Public Sector
  178. Cyber Attack: Leytonstone School
  179. The ICO Reprimands a school
  180. Cyber Attack: Dorchester School
  181. Knowledge Bank Role Types: Admin, Staff and Trustee
  182. Cyber Attack: Wiltshire School
  183. Types of Cyber Attacks: The Insider Threat
  184. Why your data is profitable to cyber criminals
  185. Striking Data Breach
  186. January Cyber update - How Can Schools Help Prevent Cyber Attacks?
  187. FOI: Vaccination Justifications
  188. The Education sector now at highest risk of cyber attacks
  189. Schools Blocked from Using Facial Recognition Systems
  190. The Children's Code
  191. Cyber Attacks
  192. Protocol for Setting Up and Delivery of Online Teaching and Learning
  193. Class Dojo International Data Sharing
  194. Secure file transfer of files using Royal Mail
  195. Emergency contacts and consent
  196. Best Practice for Managing Photos and Video
  197. Headteacher fined for breach of data protection legislation

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