Cyber Threats Increase: Schools Must Accelerate Efforts on Digital Security

From grading digital tests to managing administration, from completing assignments digitally to viewing your school report online, digital tools are indispensable in primary and secondary schools. At the same time, cyber threats are increasing, according to recent research. School boards and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science have agreed that schools must comply with national standards for a digitally safe school environment by 2030. State Secretary Koen Becking urges school boards to start working on this now.

Logical

State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science Koen Becking: “Students and staff must be able to learn and work digitally in a safe way. It is logical that schools take measures for this in a time when technological developments are rapid and cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Yet this is not yet sufficiently implemented everywhere. Therefore, it is important that school boards start working on this now. This demands a lot from them, and that is why we are helping. It is essential that they are well prepared against incidents and know what to do if something goes wrong.”

Requirements

The security requirements for schools will increase in the coming years. It has been agreed with school boards that from 2027 they will know their status regarding cyber security. It is important that they have a plan on how to work towards the national standards for digital security. By 2030 at the latest, all schools must meet these standards. This includes, for example, how to securely exchange privacy-sensitive information with suppliers of digital teaching materials and how schools can best respond if they are hacked.

Digital Safe Education Program

Because schools find it difficult to organize this alone, the Digital Safe Education program started in 2023. This program from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, PO-Raad, VO-raad, Kennisnet, and SIVON offers schools support through, for example, guidelines, step-by-step plans, and a test that gives schools insight into their current status. School boards can already take this test via this tool from Kennisnet. The program will be extended until 2029, writes Becking in a letter to the House of Representatives. The subsidy for secure internet for schools will also be extended. Becking is allocating a total of €43.8 million for this.

Threats

At the end of October, the State Secretary received the Cybersecurity Threat Landscape 2025 from Kennisnet. It shows, among other things, that primary and secondary schools have faced digital attacks such as hacks and DDoS attacks more frequently in the past two years. This year, multiple attacks occurred that made teaching materials inaccessible and jeopardized the continuity of education. In some cases, there was financial damage due to fake invoices or data leaks occurred.