SOC models for education with Gary Harding, from Atom Solutions from Atom IT Solutions
Guest: Gary Harding
Intro / Episode overview
Cyber security in schools and MATs is often treated as an IT problem. In reality, the impact of an incident is felt across the whole organisation and, in some cases, can stop a school operating altogether.
In this episode of EdTechStuff, I’m joined by Gary Hardy from Atom IT Solutions. We talk through why traditional SOC models are out of reach for most schools, what actually happens when an incident hits, and how schools can move towards a monitored, sustainable security posture without enterprise-level costs.
This is a grounded conversation about risk, responsibility, and doing what’s realistic in education.
What you’ll get from this episode
Why cyber security should be treated like safeguarding, not an IT add-on
What a SOC does and why schools struggle to afford one
How managed detection and response can fill the gap
Where schools are exposed without realising it
How to use cyber risk to secure leadership attention and funding
Key discussion points
Why education continues to be a soft target for cyber attacks
The risks introduced when MATs onboard new schools
Why many schools lack a proper risk assessment before joining a trust
Treating cyber security as a whole-school issue
The limits of policy-only approaches to incident response
What a realistic cyber incident response plan looks like
Why sitting down with leaders and trustees matters
The cost reality of enterprise SOC solutions
How managed SOC services make monitoring achievable
Visibility across email, servers, shared drives, and cloud systems
Why cyber conversations are often delayed until something goes wrong
Practical takeaways
If you only do one thing after listening:
Sit down with senior leaders and walk through what would actually happen if your school suffered a serious cyber incident.
Other actions worth considering:
Create a cyber incident response plan with real stakeholders involved
Build a simple risk register that links cyber risk to operational impact
Review how new schools are onboarded into MAT environments
Treat cyber funding as part of whole-school risk management
Look at managed SOC options that are sustainable for education budgets
Who this episode is for
Network Managers and IT Technicians
IT Directors and Heads of IT
MAT leaders responsible for shared risk
Trustees and governors with oversight responsibility
Schools struggling to resource cyber security properly
About the guest
Gary Hardy works at Atom IT Solutions, supporting schools and MATs with cyber security, infrastructure, and managed services. He works closely with education leaders to help them understand risk, plan for incidents, and adopt security models that are affordable, monitored, and realistic in day-to-day school environments.
Related episodes
Episode 1: Cyber security in real schools
Episode 8: Microsoft A3 vs A5 and what actually improves security
Episode 9: Cyber security in MATs and building a SOC approach on a budget
Have a question or want to suggest a topic?
If cyber security is something you’re dealing with right now, get in touch.
Future episodes of EdTechStuff are shaped by real issues from schools and trusts, not compliance checklists or vendor hype.