C2K: Education Authority: cyber attack on IT system used in Northern Ireland schools

Cyber Attack Disrupts Northern Ireland’s School IT System

A cyber attack has targeted the C2K school system, an IT network used by pupils and staff across Northern Ireland, the Education Authority (EA) confirmed today. The incident, detected on Friday, prompted immediate containment efforts by system managers Capita and a full investigation into its scope and impact.

As a precautionary measure, the EA enforced a network-wide password reset and temporarily restricted access to the system. While the investigation remains in its early stages, the authority has not yet determined whether personal data was compromised. The EA is coordinating with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and other relevant authorities as part of its response.

The disruption has particularly affected students preparing for exams or coursework during the Easter break, with the EA acknowledging the inconvenience and apologizing for the impact. Further security tests are underway, and updates on system restoration including password reset procedures will be provided via the EA’s website and social media.

The incident underscores the vulnerability of educational infrastructure to cyber threats, with authorities prioritizing system integrity and user safety in their recovery efforts.

Source: https://planetradio.co.uk/cool-fm/local/news/it-system-used-by-northern-ireland-schools-is-hit-by-cyber-attack

C2K cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/c2k

"id": "C2K1775234418",
"linkid": "c2k",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "4/2026",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Pupils and staff across '
                                              'Northern Ireland',
                        'industry': 'Education',
                        'location': 'Northern Ireland',
                        'name': 'Education Authority (EA)',
                        'type': 'Government/Education'},
                       {'industry': 'Technology/IT Services',
                        'name': 'Capita',
                        'type': 'IT Service Provider'}],
 'customer_advisories': 'Updates on system restoration and password reset '
                        'procedures via EA’s website and social media',
 'date_detected': '2024-04-05',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-04-05',
 'description': 'A cyber attack has targeted the C2K school system, an IT '
                'network used by pupils and staff across Northern Ireland, '
                'prompting immediate containment efforts and a full '
                'investigation. The incident led to a network-wide password '
                'reset and temporary access restrictions. The scope of data '
                'compromise is still under investigation.',
 'impact': {'operational_impact': 'Disrupted access to IT network for pupils '
                                  'and staff; affected exam and coursework '
                                  'preparations during Easter break',
            'systems_affected': 'C2K school IT system'},
 'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-04-05',
                 'source': 'Education Authority (EA)'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'Information '
                                                       'Commissioner’s Office '
                                                       '(ICO)'},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Updates via EA’s website and social '
                                        'media',
              'containment_measures': 'Network-wide password reset, temporary '
                                      'access restrictions',
              'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes',
              'remediation_measures': 'Further security tests underway',
              'third_party_assistance': 'Capita'},
 'title': 'Cyber Attack Disrupts Northern Ireland’s School IT System',
 'type': 'Cyber Attack'}