Cyber Support When It Mattered Most
How Gartree High School strengthened its cyber resilience after a ransomware attack
A Holiday Cyber Threat
Just days before Christmas, Gartree High School noticed a flashing error light on the school’s SAN (storage area network) device. After routine troubleshooting showed no apparent issues, there seemed to be little cause for alarm. However, a few hours later, the situation escalated. Leicestershire Police’s Online Fraud and Cyber Crime Unit arrived to assist in recovery from a severe ransomware attack. The flashing SAN error had been the first clue: Russian cybercriminals had breached the school’s firewall, encrypting critical data at an alarming speed.
Even though the school had a support contract with a leading IT provider, the provider was unwilling to assist due to it being Christmas Eve.
Reaching out to Novus
In search of immediate assistance, Stephen, the Network Manager at Gartree, asked for advice from a follow IT professional based at another education provider who, in turn, recommended Novus as a trustworthy partner with the expertise to resolve the issue. Novus Managing Director, Donald Allison received the initial call from Stephen and immediately initiated their cyber response protocols.
Fortunately, Gartree cloud backup allowed them to recover all data, but the incident underscored the serious, constant and growing risks that educational institutions face, even with enhanced security measures.
“Gartree weren’t one of our customers at the time, but we know how intense and isolating incidents like this can be for school IT teams, especially when one person is carrying the responsibility.
When Stephen called, there was no question. We had to help“
Donald Allison, Managing Director, Novus
The Challenge
Gartree High School had invested in IT and security, yet the attack exposed how vulnerable even well-managed education environments can be.
The school faced:
The incident reinforced a hard truth for schools: cyber threats are no longer hypothetical, and response time is everything.
The Response
After receiving crucial support during the cyber-attack, Gartree High School decided to entrust its IT services to Novus for a long-term partnership. The transition began with a comprehensive infrastructure overhaul, including replacing and upgrading their on-site servers to ensure greater reliability and performance. In addition, Novus enhanced Gartree’s Microsoft licensing by upgrading to the most secure versions available and incorporating advanced security features such as multi-factor authentication, threat detection, and advanced data encryption.
This strategic move reinforced the school’s cybersecurity posture and positioned them for future scalability. Novus’s initial phase of support extended beyond technical upgrades, focusing on aligning IT capabilities with the school’s educational goals and ensuring the infrastructure would support both current and future needs. Novus worked closely with Gartree’s IT team to minimise disruption, conducting the upgrades swiftly and effectively and keeping the school’s staff and students in mind throughout the process.
Additionally, all onsite data was protected through the Novus NSure backup service to a UK-based data centre, and Novus implemented a comprehensive Security as a Service solution.
What We Implemented
Novus delivered a structured, long-term security programme built around prevention, monitoring, and rapid response:
All changes were delivered with minimal disruption, keeping staff and students at the front of mind throughout.
Customer Feedback
“Cyber attacks for schools aren’t about ‘if’ they’re going to happen, it’s about ‘when’ they’re going to happen. We recognise it’s inevitable that we’ll be targeted again at some point, but now we’re confident we have many more measures in place across ongoing monitoring and staff training to better face the attacks head-on.
The difference with Novus is that I can always get hold of someone knowledgeable, I don’t have to log a support ticket, I can phone up real people whom I now know well if we’re stuck or need assistance. One evening, I was logged onto the Gartree network and got a call from Novus about a suspicious login. It turned out it was me! It’s Novus who are proactively getting in touch with me to resolve issues, rather than the other way around.”
Stephen Adams, Chief Operating Officer, Gartree High School
The Outcome
Today, Gartree High School operates with a far stronger and more resilient security posture. The school now benefits from greater visibility across its systems and user activity, enabling potential threats to be identified and addressed far more quickly. Proactive monitoring and improved security controls mean incidents can be responded to decisively, reducing risk and minimising disruption.
Just as importantly, the pressure on the in-house IT team has been significantly reduced. Rather than reacting to issues as they arise, the school now receives ongoing guidance and expert support, allowing staff to focus on delivering a stable, secure learning environment. Gartree High School now has a trusted partner it can rely on, even when it matters most.
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