Cyberattacks against UK higher education institutions are becoming “more prevalent”, with almost all universities surveyed impacted over the past 12 months, according to new research. 

A found that 98 per cent of higher education institutions had identified breaches or attacks – significantly higher levels than schools (73 per cent) and colleges (88 per cent). 

“Not only were further and higher education institutions more likely than other educational establishments to experience each type of breach or attack, but these attacks were becoming more prevalent,” the report says.

The proportion of higher education institutions reporting impersonation attempts has increased from 68 per cent to 79 per cent since 2024-25, with higher numbers also seen for viruses, spyware or malware and unauthorised accessing of files or networks by both staff and students.

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Among those identifying a breach, phishing was overwhelmingly the main threat, the report says. 

Of the further and higher education institutions that identified a breach or attack, almost half (49 per cent) suffered a negative outcome to their systems, it continues. 

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This most frequently included compromised accounts or systems being used for illicit purposes (23 per cent), website applications or online services being slowed or taken down (16 per cent), and loss of access to files or networks (14 per cent).

Affected institutions also reported a negative impact on less tangible areas of their operations, such as the ability of staff to perform day-to-day work. 

The government-led survey, which ran from August to December 2025, included 49 higher education institutions.

The report suggests universities are increasingly aware of the risks of these kinds of attacks, with every institution that responded to the government’s survey saying they had a board member, trustee, governor or senior manager that took responsibility for cybersecurity.

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Similarly, one in six higher education institutions (61 per cent) had a specific cybersecurity insurance policy – almost double the amount reported the previous year when 34 per cent of higher education institutions had specific coverage.

It has previously been warned that the sector-wide funding crisis puts universities at greater risk of cyberattacks owing to a lack of investment in this area. 

One representative from a higher education institution said their high-level strategy was “to build resilience using AI” and the report noted that universities in general “appeared far better informed about the ability of AI to counter cyber security threats” compared with other institution types. 

“We’re constantly using AI,” said another university representative. “The good guys are getting these tools as well and we will make sure whatever vendor we use for cybersecurity defence has an AI roadmap to match.” 

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helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com