In the second of our of State of Ransomware series with Sophos, Brian Sibley, VCTO at Espria and Jon Hope, Cyber Security Evangelist at Sophos talk about what goes on behind the breach and how ransomware gets in. In this episode the team explore the major technical and operational root causes that lead to ransomware incidents in the UK, why exploited vulnerabilities are the leading technical cause and what preventative strategies you can put in place. Don’t let your business become a statistic in the next State of Ransomware report.

In the first of 3 episodes covering Sophos' 2025 report The State of Ransomware', Brian Sibley, VCTO at Espria and Jon Hope, Cyber Security Evangelist at Sophos discuss the findings of this year's report, and specifically its implications for the UK. In this episode the team will reveal key findings that cover the scale and impact of ransomware in the UK, including 70% of attacks resulted in data being encrypted and 26% of encryption-led attacks also involved data theft. The team also discuss the report in comparison to the findings of the 2024 report, the trends and shifts in attack tactics and their outcomes. Gain an understanding of the real-world implications for UK businesses across various sizes and sectors.

Episode 2: The Threat Landscape

Educational institutions are prime targets for cybercriminals due to the vast amount of sensitive data they handle, including student records, financial information, and research data.

According to recent reports, there has been a significant increase in phishing attacks, ransomware, and malware targeting educational institutions.

1. Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024: According to the UK Government's Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024, 71% of secondary schools, 86% of further education colleges, and 97% of higher education institutions identified a cyber security breach or attack in the past year. Higher education institutions were particularly affected by phishing attacks (100%), impersonation attacks (90%), and viruses or other malware (77%).
2. Cyber Signals Report: According to Microsoft Threat Intelligence, the education sector in the UK is the third-most targeted industry, with universities experiencing an average of 2,507 cyberattack attempts per week. These attacks include malware, phishing, and IoT vulnerabilities.

In this episode our team discuss the impact of these attacks and how they specifically impact the education sector. We cover questions such as

What’s a typical ransom in the education sector?

How can schools avoid their data being encrypted?

What are best practices for enhancing email security in education

How to balance proactive and reactive strategies; it's not just about protect and detect, but also how you respond and recover.

You will learn how the threat landscape is changing, how cyber criminals exploit vulnerabilities in this sector, how AI is impacting the landscape and how to be proactive in your approach to cyber security.

Conclusion: The email threat landscape in the education sector is constantly evolving, with cybercriminals employing increasingly sophisticated techniques to target educational institutions. By staying informed about the latest trends and adopting advanced email security solutions, educational institutions can protect their sensitive data and ensure a secure learning environment.

In our next episode we’ll be discussing the importance of integration and how shared telemetry can enhance your security posture. We look forward to you joining us.

With the increasing reliance on digital technologies in our teaching and learning environments, how do schools and colleges protect sensitive information and mitigate human risk that can lead to security breaches?

In this series our team discuss why the education sector is such a major target for cyber criminals, what makes it more exploitable and the risks of having your data stolen. We explore the ever changing threat landscape, the importance of an integrated security stack where shared telemetry can enhance understanding and threat mitigation and in the final episode, educating the educators.

Join us for episode one as we delve into how human risk manifests and how it can be avoided.

In 2024, human risk surpassed technology gaps as the biggest cyber security challenge. Human error contributes to 95% of data breaches. Are you aware that educational institutions are more likely to identify cyber security breaches or attacks compared to the average UK business? For instance, 71% of secondary schools have reported a breach or attack in the past year, which is indicative of the widespread nature of these threats across all educational levels.

In Episode 1 of our Education Podcast Series, Brian Sibley, VCTO and Solutions Architect at Espria, discusses the Human Risk Factor in the Education sector with Rob Cox, Mimecast Education Specialist, and Rob Stock, Sales Engineer, also from Mimecast. Together, drawing on their vast experience in this space, they debate the risks, the threats, and how a proactive approach to your security posture can mitigate a breach.

Cyber security in education is a critical issue that requires immediate attention. With the increasing reliance on digital platforms for teaching and learning as well as administration, schools and universities are becoming prime targets for cyber-attacks. Implementing robust security measures and educating staff and students about cyber threats can significantly reduce the risk of breaches and the associated reputational and financial damage. Regular training sessions, updated security protocols, and a culture of vigilance are essential components of a strong cyber security strategy.

By staying informed about the latest threats and adopting best practices, schools, colleges and universities can protect their sensitive data and ensure a safe learning environment for students.

Listen to our podcast to learn more about how you can enhance your institution's cyber security and stay ahead of potential threats. Stay proactive, stay secure.

In Episode 2 we will tackle Trends in the threat landscape so please keep an eye out for that or register to receive it directly into your inbox here