Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue, it’s part of safeguarding. Protecting your data means protecting your children, families, and staff.
When hackers attacked a large childcare group earlier this year, they stole personal data and even tried to contact parents. It was a reminder that early years settings hold valuable information and that smaller organisations are often less protected.
Childcare providers store:
Criminals know this data is sensitive and that many settings lack dedicated IT support.
Turn on two-step verification (MFA) wherever you can, on email, nursery management systems, and cloud storage.
Use unique passwords for each account and a password manager to store them safely.
Avoid writing them down or reusing the same password.
Most cyberattacks happen through old or unpatched systems.
Enable automatic updates for your devices and apps, or schedule a monthly reminder to check manually.