Criminal investigation into cyberattack affecting 86 West Lothian schools continues

West Lothian Council was first alerted to a ransomware attack targeting its education network at around 7am on Tuesday, May 6. It is understood all West Lothian schools (68 primary, 13 secondary and five special needs schools) are affected. A council spokesperson said ‘we are continuing to work to mitigate the impact’ and it ‘remains a live criminal investigation’. Police advised ‘enquiries are at an early stage’.

The National Cyber Security Centre describes ransomware as ‘a type of malware which prevents you from accessing your device and the data stored on it, usually by encrypting your files’. The government agency notes that criminal groups then typically ‘demand a ransom in exchange for decryption’.

West Lothian Council was alerted to a suspected ransomware attack on Tuesday, May 6

The council said it is working with Police Scotland and the Scottish Government to resolve the matter and initial assessments show no ‘personal or sensitive data has been accessed’. All schools will remain open as normal and the council said exams would not be affected.

A West Lothian Council spokesperson said: “We are continuing to work to mitigate the impact of a suspected criminal ransomware cyberattack on our education network. This remains a live criminal investigation, and we are working with all relevant external agencies including Police Scotland and the Scottish Government.

“There is no evidence that the council’s corporate and public access networks are affected, or that any personal or sensitive data has been accessed. The education network remains isolated from the rest of the council’s networks, while our IT Services team and external organisations and agencies investigate the issue and work to restore systems.

“We are very grateful for all the support we have received from various organisations and agencies during this challenging time. The council’s contingency plans are operating effectively to ensure that our schools continue to deliver education with minimal impact on pupils, including SQA exams.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On Tuesday, May 6, we received a report of a cyber incident in the West Lothian area. Enquiries are at an early stage."