Cyber Innovate to Elevate: Case Study
Protecting children from cyber criminals
When a nursery cyberattack and the subsequent release of children’s profiles hit the headlines in 2025, it was a stark reminder to one childcare provider of why they’d launched a Cyber Innovate to Elevate project in partnership with the University of Essex and Freeport East.
Childcare and data responsibilities
Based in Ipswich, the Bows and Arrows Group operate seven nurseries, caring for between 1,500 and 2,000 pre-school children.
With a mission to deliver high-quality childcare, the company takes its responsibilities seriously, extending that accountability to the vast amount of personal information it holds about children and families.
Taking a tailored approach
After narrowly avoiding a phishing trap, Chief Executive Anne Denny knew Bows and Arrows needed to build resilience. Rather than choose generic advice that didn’t align with the realities of a childcare setting, she opted for the tailored approach offered by cybersecurity experts at the University through the Cyber Innovate to Elevate programme.
Recognising that their greatest vulnerabilities were likely to be everyday processes rather than serious technical failings, Anne wanted advice on emails, identity verification and decision-making.
A safeguarding culture
Dr Marta Fernandez de Arroyabe Arranz, Deputy Director of the Institute for Analytics and Data Science, led the cyber audit.
Driven by a desire to translate her expertise into practical steps that strengthen business resilience, with colleagues she interviewed staff, observed how they used platforms in real time, reviewed documentation and mapped IT responsibilities.
The process confirmed what Dr Fernandez de Arroyabe knew about SMEs in childcare; that informal processes, identity protection gaps and limited governance posed the biggest threats.
It also revealed that the culture at Bows and Arrows, as well as its limited use of overly complex digital systems, would make implementing change easier.
“The strong safeguarding mindset that exists across nurseries and culture of responsibility and openness is a very positive foundation for improving cybersecurity, because staff are already used to thinking about risk and escalation in a safeguarding context” explained Dr Fernandez de Arroyabe.
After identifying a range of risks across governance and accountability, technical configuration, human factors, data lifecycle and third-party dependency, the academic team delivered a staged roadmap for improvement.
Confidence for the future
The project has given the company the clarity it needed.
By following the key recommendations, the nursery group is reducing the chance of cyberattacks, strengthening data protection and developing a better structured approach to cybersecurity.
Crucially, the audit supports long-term sustainability too, by demonstrating Bows and Arrows’ commitment to protecting children’s information and giving leadership, trustees and families greater confidence.
![Marta Fernandez de Arroyabe, University of Essex]()
"One of the most satisfying aspects of this work is seeing organisations move from uncertainty to a much clearer understanding of their systems and how to manage them. Knowing that the work we do can strengthen organisations, protect their employees and customers, and support their future growth makes the collaboration incredibly meaningful."
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![Anne Denny of Bows and Arrows Group]()
"Working with Marta was extremely constructive and refreshingly grounded. It felt collaborative rather than judgmental. Importantly, the work combined academic rigour with practical recommendations that recognised our capacity, culture and mission as a charity."
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