Preparing Your School or Trust for Deepfake Danger

If your school isn’t already thinking about deepfake threats, now is the time to start – these risks are real, growing and can affect staff, finances and your reputation

In recent years, rapid economic, social and technological change has brought both opportunity and challenge to the education sector. While artificial intelligence offers benefits for learning, administration and communication, its rapid expansion is moving faster than regulatory and safeguarding frameworks can always keep pace with, leaving it open to insidious and deliberate misuse.

Its darker applications are already evident in the rise of deepfake scams, non-consensual sexualised content and AI-enabled impersonations online. From invasive attacks that violate personal privacy to manipulations that make individuals feel threatened, exposed or exploited, this is a clear and growing threat that schools cannot afford to ignore.

Deepfakes – synthetic media created using artificial intelligence to convincingly mimic real people’s voices, faces or behaviours – are no longer science fiction. While the technology has legitimate uses, it also poses immediate risks to school communities, leadership teams and the wider trust schools rely on. This is not a problem for the future; it is happening now.

What Can Be Harmful to Employees?

Deepfakes can target school staff in ways that are deeply personal and professionally damaging:

• Impersonation Scams: AI-generated audio or video that appears to come from a headteacher, governor or local authority contact instructing staff to authorise payments or share sensitive information
  • Harassment and Abuse: Synthetic media designed to defame, intimidate or humiliate a member of staff, including sexualised and explicit content
  • Credential Theft: Deepfake-enhanced social engineering used to trick staff into revealing login details, pupil data or confidential information

These risks can undermine trust, create safeguarding concerns and exploit human vulnerabilities. Awareness training and clear reporting pathways are critical to ensure staff know how to recognise and escalate suspicious content.

What Can Be Harmful to the School?

Schools face risks that extend beyond individual members of staff. AI-generated impersonations can be used to authorise fraudulent payments, alter supplier bank details or manipulate procurement processes, leading to financial loss. Fake messages appearing to come from leadership can cause confusion, disrupt operations or create panic.

Reputational harm is another significant risk. Synthesised videos of senior leaders making controversial statements could spread rapidly on social media, damaging trust with parents, pupils and the wider community. Manipulated media could also spread false claims about safeguarding issues, school policies or pupil safety, undermining confidence and stability.

The Most At-Risk Groups

While any school can be targeted, certain roles face greater exposure:

• Senior Leadership Teams: Headteachers, deputy heads and governors are prime targets for impersonation or misleading communications
  • School Business and Finance Teams: Staff responsible for payments, payroll and contracts are particularly vulnerable to voice or video deepfake scams
  • Communications and Front Office Staff: Those handling parent enquiries and public messaging may encounter manipulated media or fake interactions

It is important to recognise that women in visible roles, particularly in leadership or public-facing positions, are disproportionately targeted for harassment, defamation and sexualised deepfake content. While deepfakes can affect anyone, women are more frequently singled out, and the personal and professional consequences can be severe, including reputational damage and emotional distress. Students themselves are also at risk. Deepfake technology can be used to create harmful images of pupils, fabricate incidents, or spread manipulated content designed to bully, intimidate or damage reputations.

Identifying who may be most at risk allows schools to put targeted safeguards, training and support measures in place, strengthening both cybersecurity and safeguarding protections.

What to Do in a Deepfake Situation

Deepfake awareness should be incorporated into existing safeguarding, cybersecurity and incident response plans. When faced with a suspected deepfake incident, school leaders and business managers should:

1. Verify Before Acting: Confirm requests through a separate, trusted channel before authorising payments or sharing information
2. Isolate and Document: Preserve messages, files and metadata for investigation
3. Escalate Immediately: Inform senior leadership, IT support and, where appropriate, governors or local authorities
4. Use Detection and Technical Support: Engage IT providers to assess authenticity
5. Communicate Clearly: Provide factual updates to staff or parents if required to prevent misinformation
6. Review Procedures: Identify gaps in verification processes and strengthen controls

For school business managers, understanding the full scope of potential harm, keeping up with emerging guidance and ensuring staff know how to respond are essential steps in protecting both people and public funds. Just as importantly, being seen to take action reassures staff and demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding.

And schools should not assume they are too small to be targeted. Deepfakes can affect institutions of any size. Taking proactive, visible steps helps protect your community, preserve trust and ensure your school remains a safe and secure environment for staff and pupils alike.