British universities targeted by ransomware
Nearly 60% of higher education institutions have suffered an attack in the past year


Cyber criminals using ransomware have zeroed in on British universities, with 63% admitting to suffering an attack.
Security firm SentinelOne sent out a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to universities across the country. Of those who responded, 56% said they had been subject to a ransomware attack in the past year, with one institution revealing it had suffered 21 separate incidents over the course of the past 12 months.
Fifty-eight of the 71 universities contacted by SentinelOne responded to the company's request, with the remaining 13 saying they were unable to answer as doing so could harm their commercial interests. Of those who did respond, all but two Oxford and Kings College London had no anti-virus protection in place. That did not prevent the remaining 56 from becoming infected, however.
The amount of money attackers attempted to extort from their targets varied wildly, from 77 up to 2,299. None of the universities admitted to paying the ransom, however.
Jeremiah Grossman, chief of security strategy at SentinelOne, said: "Bournmouth University found [itself] to be the most targeted institution, with a deeply concerning 21 attacks in the last year. The fact that 65% of those universities suffering an attack were the victim of repeated attacks, where no ransom was [allegedy] paid, may prompt us to question the motives of the adversary as more than purely financial."
However, Gianlua Stinghini, lecturer and assistant professor at University College London's department of computer science and security crime science, disagreed stating: "These findings shine a light on the growing ransomware threat and the fact that Universities are seen as potentially lucrative targets.
"From the evidence provided in this study, it appears that cyber criminals ask for more money in attacks against universities than they do when they target the general public. It could ... be that they're motivated by instances of other institutions reportedly paying out the ransom demands."
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
The report also revealed that only one university Brunel said it had contacted the police in relaiton to the matter. This has prompted calls for victims of ransomware, whether individuals or organisations, to take the issue as seriously as a "real world" incident.
"Ransomware is a crime and victims should report it to the relevant authorities," David Kennerly, director of threat research at security firm Webroot, said.
"It is also not guaranteed that the attacker will restore the affected files, while paying the ransom only highlights the poor security posture of the affected organisation and encourages further attacks," he added.

Jane McCallion is Managing Editor of ITPro and ChannelPro, specializing in data centers, enterprise IT infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Before becoming Managing Editor, she held the role of Deputy Editor and, prior to that, Features Editor, managing a pool of freelance and internal writers, while continuing to specialize in enterprise IT infrastructure, and business strategy.
Prior to joining ITPro, Jane was a freelance business journalist writing as both Jane McCallion and Jane Bordenave for titles such as European CEO, World Finance, and Business Excellence Magazine.
-
The IT industry’s shift to circular, low-carbon solutions
Maximize your hardware investment and reach your sustainability goals with HP’s Renew Solutions
-
Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition review
Reviews This thin and light ultraportable will draw you in with its vibrant screen – but it isn't as powerful as some of its competitors
-
Ransomware attacks are rising — but quiet payouts could mean there's more than actually reported
News Ransomware attacks continue to climb, but they may be even higher than official figures show as companies choose to quietly pay to make such incidents go away.
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolen – and security experts say it won't be the last
News Hertz has confirmed it suffered a data breach as a result of the Cleo zero-day vulnerability in late 2024, with the car rental giant warning that customer data was stolen.
-
‘Phishing kits are a force multiplier': Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25 – and experts warn it’s lowering the barrier of entry for amateur hackers
News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
-
Healthcare systems are rife with exploits — and ransomware gangs have noticed
News Nearly nine-in-ten healthcare organizations have medical devices that are vulnerable to exploits, and ransomware groups are taking notice.
-
Alleged LockBit developer extradited to the US
News A Russian-Israeli man has been extradited to the US amid accusations of being a key LockBit ransomware developer.
-
February was the worst month on record for ransomware attacks – and one threat group had a field day
News February 2025 was the worst month on record for the number of ransomware attacks, according to new research from Bitdefender.
-
CISA issues warning over Medusa ransomware after 300 victims from critical sectors impacted
News The Medusa ransomware as a Service operation compromised twice as many organizations at the start of 2025 compared to 2024
-
Warning issued over prolific 'Ghost' ransomware group
News The Ghost ransomware group is known to act fast and exploit vulnerabilities in public-facing appliances