Harris Federation

Harris Federation is a nonprofit education trust headquartered in the United Kingdom. The organisation is based in London and oversees a network of approximately fifty academies. As a charitable trust, it delivers education services to students across its schools. Its role encompasses the management and support of primary and secondary provision within the academy sector.

On 27 March 2021, Harris Federation experienced a sophisticated ransomware attack that encrypted its IT systems. In response, the trust disabled email servers, landline phones, and student devices to contain the infection. The incident disrupted communications and IT infrastructure across its academies. Despite the disruption, schools remained open with redirected phone services maintained for essential contact. Harris Federation collaborated with national law enforcement and cybersecurity agencies to investigate the breach. The trust noted that it was among several UK educational institutions recently targeted in similar ransomware campaigns. The attack took place amid a broader surge in ransomware incidents affecting the school sector. Official alerts had previously warned of heightened ransomware threats to education organisations. The origin of the attack remained unconfirmed at the time of reporting. Preliminary but unverified reports suggested possible links to known ransomware operations.