Northern Ireland education authority restores systems after cyberattack

BELFAST (AP). The Education Authority of Northern Ireland reported "good progress" Sunday in restoring IT systems following a significant cyberattack that disrupted operations across the region's schools. The attack, detected late last week, forced the shutdown of email, financial management and student information systems serving approximately 1,100 schools and 350,000 students. The authority has declined to specify the attack vector or confirm ransom demands, citing ongoing investigation by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre and Police Service of Northern Ireland. Schools remained open using manual processes, though payroll and admissions operations faced delays. The incident marks the second major attack on UK educational infrastructure in 2026, following a ransomware incident affecting university systems in February. The Education Authority said it expects core systems to be fully operational by midweek, with enhanced monitoring measures implemented during recovery.