A HIGH school in Hereford has been the victim of a cyber attack, its headteacher has said.

The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School, in Hampton Dene Road, had its systems interrupted as cyber criminals launched the attack.

Headteacher Martin Henton said the Tupsley school, with around 1,000 pupils, "had the unfortunate experience" of a cyber attack earlier in October.

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He said in a letter to parents that systems were since back up and running, something that was achieved "in record time with minimal disruption to the school".

He thanked the school's IT team for its expertise and dedication in resolving the issue.

Mr Henton said there was no threat to the personal information of students and staff.

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"I would also like to extend a thank you to you as parents for your understanding and support during this time," the letter said.

It comes as businesses have been told the biggest cyber risk they face is from complacency, not hackers.

The Information Commissioner has said as he urged firms to better protect themselves from cyber threats.

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John Edwards issued the warning as the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) handed down a fine of £4.4 million to Interserve Group, a Berkshire-based construction company for failing to keep personal information of staff secure – in breach of data protection law.

The ICO found that the company had failed to put appropriate security measures in place to prevent a cyber attack, which enabled hackers to access the personal data of up to 113,000 employees through a phishing email.

Mr Edwards said many businesses were still not taking cyber security seriously enough and warned companies they should “expect a similar fine from my office” if they are found to have failed to put protections in place.