In April 2017 a computer virus encrypted the Durham Sixth Form Centre college files. The County Durham school confirmed it had made a payment of £1,500 to recover the data and it had informed the police about the attack.
The school has not confirmed the source of the attack, but it happened at the same time as the global WannaCry cyber-attack on businesses and banks across the world, as well as the NHS.
Durham County Council has refused to comment on the school’s case as it manages its own IT system.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-44045355
