Cyber crime
Resources, guidance and information for education practitioners, learners, and families on cybercrime and resilience.
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What you need to know
Cyber security’s primary purpose is to ensure the devices and online services used online for both personal and professional purposes are protected from unauthorised access, theft or damage. If cyber criminals get into your device or accounts, they could access your money, your personal information, or information about your organisation or school.
Whilst for some cyber security is considered a subject for technical experts there are simple steps that everyone can take to reduce the risk of becoming the victim of cyber criminals. These include creating and using strong passwords, ensuring that devices and software including apps are updated regularly, backing up your data or adding additional protection such as multifactor authentication where possible.
It’s important to be able to recognise the techniques used by cyber criminals to gain access to devices and services such as Phishing. A phishing e-mail is a message which asks users to follow a link to an unknown website which could download malware onto your computer, or steal passwords. Being alert to these techniques and how emerging technologies, such as generative AI, can be misused to create a higher volume of sophisticated online fraud and scams is crucial in avoiding a cyber-attack.
Welsh Government guidance
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Education digital standards and guidance
The Education Digital Standards will assist schools to understand, manage and implement their digital environment, by themselves or with their Education Technology Support Partner.
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Cyber security in schools: questions for governing bodies and management committees
This guidance for governing bodies and management committees has been produced to help improve a school's understanding of its cyber security risks.
Training
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Cyber security awareness training for school staff
This cyber security training module produced with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for Welsh schools is designed to support school staff to help improve their cyber resilience.
Phishing
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Phishing - don't be the catch!
Phishing attacks are becoming increasingly more sophisticated. It’s important to understand how you can protect yourself and your school.
Views from the experts
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It was never a dress: the importance of diversity in cyber security
Clare Johnson, Partnerships and Outreach Manager (Digital and STEM), University of South Wales.
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Why cyber resilience within schools is a concern for the senior leadership team, not the IT department
Symon Kendall, Detective Sergeant at Tarian Regional Cyber Crime Unit.
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Sextortion (Sexually coerced extortion)
Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
Resources
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Learning and teaching resources
Resources to support schools and the wider school community with cyber crime.
Quick guide to online scams for parents and carers
- Spotlight on online scams pdf 175 Kb This file may not be accessible. If you need a more accessible version of this document please email digital@gov.wales. Please tell us the format you need. If you use assistive technology please tell us what this is
Further information
- Cyber Aware NCSC
- NCSC Education and Skills
- Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for cyber crime
- Check a website, an easy-to-use online tool which helps you to determine whether a website is likely to be legitimate or a scam before you visit it
- CyberFirst
- Cyber response plan for schools