School cyber governance: confidence rising, readiness lagging

Australian independent and Catholic schools are being deliberately targeted by organised ransomware groups and data theft actors — yet many boards are still governing cyber risk as an IT issue rather than a strategic one.

This report draws on real incidents across the school sector to reveal where governance is breaking down and what boards need to do differently. Using the SECURE framework, it examines six critical domains of board-level cyber oversight — from strategy integration and response readiness to third-party risk and evaluation — and offers practical guidance for governing with greater confidence and discipline.

Download this report to understand:

• Why schools have become a prime target for organised cyber attacks
• The recurring governance failures exposed by recent incidents
• What effective board-level cyber oversight looks like in practice
• Five key questions every school board should be able to answer