A massive cyber attack on the UK’s central academic network has knocked hundreds of universities and colleges offline, freezing exams, research, and library services nationwide.
Jisc, the non-profit providing digital infrastructure for the sector, confirmed a “major incident” hit its Janet network late Tuesday. This isn’t just a slow connection; for many institutions, it’s a total digital blackout during peak term time.
The outage affects over 18 million users. While some universities managed to keep local systems running, others lost everything from student portals to Wi-Fi. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is now working with Jisc to contain what appears to be a sophisticated, large-scale assault on the backbone of the British education system.
“We’re working around the clock, but there’s no immediate fix,” a Jisc spokesperson told reporters. They didn’t name the attackers, but the scale suggests a coordinated effort rather than a lone actor. Students at University College London and the University of Manchester reported being unable to submit assignments or access essential research databases throughout the morning.
This isn’t an isolated headache. Education has become a top-tier target for hackers because it holds vast amounts of personal data and high-value research. While individual schools are hit often, hitting the Janet network—the very plumbing of the academic world—is a much more ambitious and damaging play.
IT teams across the country are now scrambling to isolate their local systems, fearing the breach could be a precursor to a wider data heist. For now, the focus is purely on restoration. If the network doesn’t come back soon, thousands of students face a winter of delayed exams and stalled degrees.
