Man Arrested After Cyber Attack On School’s IT Network
Written by HFM News on 22nd January 2021
A man has been arrested after a major cyber-attack at Welland Park Academy in Market Harborough.
The 28-year-old from Wellingborough was held by Police under section 1 and 3 of the Computer Misuse Act.
He has been questioned and released under investigation, as enquiries continue..
Police received a report of a major IT outage at the school on Monday, that prevented remote learning and accessing material to support the children of keyworkers and vulnerable children who are attending school.
It was subsequently discovered that a sophisticated cyber-attack had occurred, which affected 92 personal devices that connected to the school’s network.
Officers from Leicestershire Police’s Cyber Crime Unit are investigating the incident and worked round the clock with the school and Microsoft to remove the threat to personal devices, which was swiftly achieved and work is continuing to restore the school’s IT capability as quickly as possible.
There is currently no evidence of any data exfiltration.
Remote learning resumed today.
Officers would like to thank school staff, parents and pupils for their support and cooperation during this investigation.
Anyone who has been affected should contact admin@wellandparkacademy.com.
