Education Authority in Northern Ireland Reports Progress on Restoring School IT Systems After Cyber Attack

The Education Authority (EA) in Northern Ireland reported on Sunday that its teams had made good progress over the weekend in restoring access to school IT systems following a cyber attack. The systems are part of the C2K network, managed by the EA, which supplies online and IT services to all schools in the region.

The attack disrupted access for pupils and staff, preventing logins to retrieve teacher-provided work and resources during the lead-up to exam season. Primary schools were prioritized in the restoration efforts to ensure safe and secure access.

Schools received a message on Thursday indicating that the EA was addressing an IT security issue through a full password reset for all users. The EA stated that immediate steps were taken to contain the issue, and a full investigation is underway. As a critical security measure, a complete password reset was implemented across the school network.

The EA has not confirmed whether any personal data was affected by the breach. The organization is engaging with the Information Commissioner's Office and relevant authorities as part of its response to the incident.

At Sullivan Upper School in Holywood, County Down, principal Craig Mairs informed parents via email that senior teaching and non-teaching staff regained access on Sunday morning. The EA advised that each pupil and staff password must be reset individually, a process described by Mairs as a significant task to be handled by year groups.

The school plans to open on Easter Monday for pupils in Years 11-14 preparing for upcoming exams. Staff will be available on site between 09:30 and 11:30 BST to assist with password resets before the new term. Passwords for pupils in Years 8-10 will be reset after the Easter break.

At Methodist College Belfast, principal Jenny Lendrum noted that over 800 pupils are scheduled to sit GCSE, AS, and A-Level exams shortly after Easter. Much of the required revision work relies on the C2K system for accessing materials and information.

Kian Hawes, a 14-year-old pupil at Lumen Christi College in Londonderry and education officer for the Secondary Students' Union of Northern Ireland, stated that the disruption has affected students' ability to revise during the Easter break, a period teachers encouraged for catching up on work.

Nick Mathison, chair of Stormont's education committee, emphasized that the priority for members of the Legislative Assembly and the EA is to determine if a data breach occurred. He added that communication with potentially affected individuals must occur quickly, and any necessary data security advice should be provided without delay.

The incident affects thousands of pupils across Northern Ireland, particularly those in exam years, with restoration efforts continuing to minimize disruptions to education. Further updates from the EA are expected as the investigation progresses.