A Governor’s Guide to School Cyber Security

Not long ago, cyber security was seen as something for the IT team to deal with, but that has changed. The Department for Education, the Academy Trust Handbook, and the wider regulatory environment are now clear:

Cyber security is a leadership and governance responsibility, not a technical one.

That doesn’t mean governors need to understand firewalls or configure networks, but it does mean the board needs to be asking the right questions, receiving the right assurance, and ensuring the school has the right controls in place.

This guide has been written for governors and trustees of schools and academy trusts. 

You don’t need a technical background to read it; it has been created to help you understand your responsibilities around cyber security, know what good looks like, and make sure the right conversations are happening at board level.