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Title: UK's Data Watchdog Warns Students Are Breaching Their Schools' IT
Systems

Link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/09/15/0150...

The UK's data-protecting Information Commissioner's Office has issued a
warning about what it calls a worrying trend, reports the BBC: "students
hacking their own school and college IT systems for fun or as part of dares."
Since 2022, the the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has investigated
215 hacks and breaches originating from inside education settings and says
57% were carried out by children. Other breaches are thought to come from
staff, third party IT suppliers and other organisations with access.
According to the new data, almost a third of the breaches involved students
illegally logging into staff computer systems by guessing passwords or
stealing details from teachers. In one incident, a seven-year-old was
involved in a data breach and subsequently referred to the National Crime
Agency's Cyber Choices programme to help them understand the seriousness of
their actions... In another incident three Year 11 students aged 15 or 16
unlawfully accessed school databases containing the personal information of
more than 1,400 students. The pupils used hacking tools downloaded from the
internet to break passwords and security protocols. When questioned, they
said they were interested in cyber security and wanted to test their skills
and knowledge. Another example the ICO gave is of a student illegally logging
into their college's databases with a teachers' details to change or delete
personal information belonging to more than 9,000 staff, students and
applicants. The system stored personal information such as name and home
address, school records, health data, safeguarding and pastoral logs and
emergency contacts. Schools are facing an increasing number of cyber attacks,
with 44% of schools reporting an attack or breach in the last year according
the government's most recent Cyber Security Breaches Survey. "Youth cyber
crime culture is a growing threat linked to English-speaking teen gangs," the
article argues, noting breaches at major companies to suggest it's a kind of
"gateway" crime. The ICO's principal cyber specialist tells the BBC that
"What starts out as a dare, a challenge, a bit of fun in a school setting can
ultimately lead to children taking part in damaging attacks on organisations
or critical infrastructure."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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