How can academy trusts strengthen digital resilience?

Week 1 – strengthen the basics

• Review administrator access: ensure only essential staff hold elevated rights and remove dormant accounts immediately.
• Activate multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all core systems: make MFA a minimum expectation for safeguarding data where possible.
• Check backup integrity: the DfE Digital & Technology Standards highlight the importance of robust backups – verify schedules, retention periods and test a restoration.

Week 2 – secure cloud & local systems

• Patch and update devices: deploy outstanding security updates across servers, laptops and classroom devices.
• Review external system access: remove any historic contractor or former staff logins still enabled on cloud finance or HR systems.

Week 3 – strengthen processes & monitoring

• Introduce a digital incident log: even a simple register helps identify patterns early and supports internal scrutiny and governance reporting.
• Implement weekly security checks: monitor failed logins, unusual access timings and any disabled security settings.
• Standardise password policies trust‑wide: ensure consistency across systems, so local variations don’t introduce vulnerabilities.

Week 4 – Build staff awareness & readiness

• Deliver a 15‑minute cyber hygiene briefing at each school (in person or via video).
• Run a simulated phishing exercise to assess baseline awareness and identify training hotspots.
• Refresh your incident response plan: the DfE Academy Trust Handbook highlights cybercrime as a regulatory risk – trustees expect clarity on who does what during an incident.