In recent years, the IT security threat landscape for UK schools has undergone a significant transformation. The days of random phishing emails are long gone, as cybercriminals have evolved into sophisticated and well-organised groups. These attackers now directly target teachers, parents, and even students, posing a serious challenge to the educational sector.

This issue is pervasive and widespread. Research conducted by the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Grid for Learning reveals alarming statistics: 78% of schools have encountered various types of cyber incidents, with 21% falling victim to malware and/or ransomware attacks. Furthermore, 18% of schools have suffered from disruptive events that resulted in the loss of access to crucial information.

The impact of these cyber threats on schools cannot be understated. They disrupt daily operations, compromise sensitive data, and pose risks to the entire educational community. It is clear that safeguarding the digital environment of schools is of utmost importance to protect the privacy, security, and continuity of education.

At Meridian IT we understand the challenges faced by UK schools in combating cyber threats. Our tailored cybersecurity solutions are specifically designed to address the unique needs of educational institutions, providing comprehensive protection against evolving cyber risks.

By partnering with us, you can benefit from:

1. Robust Threat Detection and Prevention: We deploy cutting-edge technologies and employ advanced threat intelligence to detect and prevent cyber-attacks in real-time. Our solutions continuously monitor network traffic, identify malicious activities, and proactively defend against cyber threats.

2. Secure Infrastructure and Data Protection: We help schools establish secure IT infrastructures by implementing strong firewalls, secure wireless networks, and data encryption measures. Our experts work closely with schools to develop effective data protection strategies, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical information.

3. Incident Response and Recovery: In the event of a cyber incident, our experienced team is ready to respond promptly and efficiently. We have robust incident response protocols in place to minimise the impact of attacks, mitigate damage, and facilitate the restoration of normal operations.

4. Comprehensive Security Awareness Training: We offer comprehensive training programs for teachers, staff, and students to raise awareness about cyber threats and promote best practices for safe online behaviour. By educating the school community, we empower individuals to recognise and respond effectively to potential cyber risks.

5. Ongoing Security Monitoring and Compliance: Our services include continuous security monitoring to ensure the proactive detection of vulnerabilities and suspicious activities. We also assist schools in achieving and maintaining compliance with relevant data protection regulations and industry standards.

At Meridian IT, we are committed to providing UK schools with the highest level of cybersecurity expertise and support. With our tailored solutions and industry-leading technologies specifically designed for Education, you can protect your school from cyber threats, preserve the confidentiality of sensitive data, and maintain a secure learning environment.

Contact us today to learn more about our Cyber Security Services and how we can help safeguard your school against the evolving cyber threats faced by the education sector in the UK.

EDU-SOC Designed for Education

Welcome to Meridian IT EDU-SOC, the leading Security Operations Centre (SOC) service exclusively designed for the education sector. Our mission is to empower educational institutions to maximise the security features of Microsoft Licensing. As recognised by Gartner, Microsoft is a top leader in the security space, and we provide comprehensive tools to protect against sophisticated attacks.

We understand that educational institutions face budget constraints when it comes to cybersecurity resources. That’s why our cost-neutral service offers numerous benefits to safeguard your school’s network, cloud services, teachers, parents, and most importantly, students from the ever-looming cybercriminal world. We remove the burden of implementing and managing cybersecurity tools and investigating alerts, providing you with a lighter touch solution.

By partnering with us, you gain access to a high-end security operations team that acts as an extension of your existing IT department, without incurring exorbitant costs typically associated with SOC infrastructure. We simplify security tooling and significantly improve the signal-to-noise ratio, ensuring you receive only relevant and actionable alerts. Our experts handle the setup and configuration of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and O365, as well as the integration into Microsoft Sentinel, all managed by our dedicated Meridian IT EDU-SOC experts.

Our service operates on a predictable billing model based on the effort and time of our analysts. We offer exceptional flexibility with short contract options starting at just three months, allowing you to
tailor the service to your specific needs. Additionally, we provide regular service reviews, giving you transparency into the analysts effort and ensuring that you receive the utmost value from our partnership.

As part of our comprehensive offering, we provide incident response support to aid you in unfortunate events. Our service also includes a security score measurement, providing an assessment of your organisations security posture along with actionable recommendations for improvements.

To showcase our commitment to your satisfaction, we offer a one-month free service trial, allowing you to experience the benefits of Meridian IT EDU-SOC firsthand. We are dedicated to providing top-notch security solutions tailored to your specific requirements and ensuring that your educational institution remains resilient against evolving threats.

Contact us today to get started with our industry-leading SOC service and safeguard your educational environment with confidence.

EDU-SOC Delivers

01

Flexibility and Scalability:

Our EDU-SOC service offers unparalleled flexibility. Start with a minimal scope and scale up as needed, aligning precisely with your evolving requirements for seamless
growth.

02

Reduced Infrastructure Costs:

Eliminate upfront infrastructure investments. We bring our own infrastructure, tools, and expertise, allowing you to allocate resources efficiently and focus on
strategic initiatives.

03

Leveraging Microsoft Security Features:

Maximise your Microsoft security investment by leveraging tools like Microsoft Sentinel and Defender. Our experts implement and configure these features for
comprehensive threat detection, monitoring, and incident response.

04

Access to Expertise and Best Practices:

Gain access to a team of highly skilled cybersecurity
professionals who stay updated on the latest threats and defence strategies. Leverage their expertise and best practices to strengthen your defence against sophisticated threats.

05

Proactive Threat Detection and Response:

Our EDU-SOC service enables proactive threat detection
and response. We continuously monitor your systems, applications, and network traffic, swiftly
identifying and mitigating potential threats. Reduce downtime and minimise damage through our
dedicated IT security team.

Embrace the benefits of our EDU-SOC service, provided by Meridian IT, a trusted SOC services provider. Start small, demonstrate value, and enhance your security operations. Contact us for more information on Meridian IT’s EDU-SOC service.

“With Meridian’s expert support, we’ve been able to raise our Microsoft Secure Score by 50%. That’s an astonishing result.”

Tony Whelton, Director of IT Services and Development, Wellington College

Contact us

Let’s talk.

To learn more about Meridian IT’s services around Cyber Security in Education services, get in touch via our contact form.

Find out more about Meridian IT

Interested by our Education? Why not find out more about Meridian IT and what we offer. Meridian IT UK, a leading provider with 30 years of experience in IT Managed Services, Cyber Security, and Cloud solutions, boasts a strong partnership with IBM as a Platinum Partner.

Take a look at our LinkedIn to discover more about us!