Cyber Resilience for Schools and Trusts
Delivered by a non-profit that exists to protect education — not to sell to it. Schools hold some of the most sensitive data in the country and run on some of the tightest budgets. ICCSO is a UK community interest organisation helping schools and Multi-Academy Trusts protect their pupils, staff and systems — through practical guidance, staff training, incident readiness and inspiring the next generation of cyber talent.
Schools are now among the UK's most targeted organisations
Cyber criminals don't see a school. They see safeguarding records, pupil and parent data, staff payroll, and an organisation that can't afford downtime. A single ransomware incident can close classrooms for days, expose sensitive safeguarding information, and destroy years of coursework.
At the same time, expectations on schools are rising. The Department for Education's digital and technology standards now expect schools to actively manage cyber risk. Governors, trustees and insurers are asking harder questions. And most schools are expected to meet these standards without a single dedicated IT security specialist on staff.
You shouldn't have to face this alone — and you shouldn't have to pay commercial consultancy rates to get help.
A community, not a vendor
ICCSO — the International Consortium for Cyber Security Operations — is a UK-registered community interest organisation. We are a consortium of experienced cyber security professionals, security leaders and educators who volunteer their expertise and share a single mission: making the UK more cyber resilient, starting with the sectors that need it most.
- No products to sell you — we are not a managed service provider or a software vendor, so our advice is independent
- Education-sector focus — everything is designed around term times, budgets, SLT and governor structures, and safeguarding duties
- Community benefit by design — income from our programmes funds our mission, including free resources for the schools that need them most
One programme, three levels of support
Every school starts in a different place. Our tiered programme meets you where you are — from building basic awareness to achieving demonstrable, governance-ready cyber resilience across a trust.
- Cyber Aware (build the foundations): staff cyber awareness webinars for education settings, a termly plain-English threat bulletin for schools, practical checklists aligned to DfE digital and technology standards, and ICCSO School Member recognition
- Cyber Secure (protect your school community): everything in Cyber Aware plus an annual blame-free staff phishing simulation, a cyber briefing for SLT and governors, an incident response template pack, and a student cyber careers talk
- Cyber Resilient (lead with confidence): everything in Cyber Secure plus Cyber Essentials readiness support, an annual tabletop incident exercise for leadership, a named ICCSO advisor, and trust-wide rollout support for MATs
Outcomes, not paperwork
- Confidence for your leadership and governors — clear evidence that your school is managing cyber risk
- Staff who are your strongest defence — trained, confident staff stop attacks before they start
- A plan for the worst day — respond in hours with a rehearsed plan, not in days with panic
- Inspired pupils — showing the next generation that a cyber career is for them
- A community behind you — a national network of cyber professionals and member schools
Getting started is simple
- Book a free consultation — a 30-minute conversation with an ICCSO advisor, no obligation, no sales pitch
- Get an honest recommendation — we'll tell you where your school stands and which programme level fits
- Join the programme — onboarding is built around the school calendar and term time
- Build resilience, year on year — regular touchpoints, refreshed training and an annual review
Frequently asked questions
Is ICCSO a company trying to sell us software or services?
No. ICCSO is a UK community interest organisation. We don't sell security products or managed services — our schools programme is independent, and income supports our non-profit mission.
We're a small primary school with no IT staff. Is this for us?
Absolutely — schools like yours are exactly who we designed this for. Everything is delivered in plain English, built for staff who aren't technical, and scheduled around the realities of school life.
We're a Multi-Academy Trust. Can you support all our schools?
Yes. Our Cyber Resilient level includes trust-wide rollout support, so you get consistency across every school with central visibility for trust leadership.
Does this help us meet the DfE digital and technology standards?
Yes. Our programme materials are aligned to the DfE standards and to Cyber Essentials, and we'll help you evidence your progress for governors, auditors and insurers.
What does it cost?
The programme is priced for education budgets, with different levels of support to match different needs — and our entry-level resources are designed to be accessible to every school. Book a free consultation and we'll give you straightforward information with no obligation.
We think we've already had a cyber incident. Can you help?
If you're dealing with a live incident, contact Action Fraud and follow NCSC guidance immediately. ICCSO's programme focuses on preparation and resilience — and member schools receive incident response templates and exercises so they're ready before anything happens.