The Increase in School Ransomware Attacks Business
The increase in school ransomware attacks,Author: A. J. O'Connell,School cyber attacks are on the rise worldwide, perhaps that forced schools worldwide to pivot and utilize more digital resources. Just was responsible for the websites of 5,000 schools, mostly in the U.S. going offline. Verizon's (DBIR) found ransomware attacks accounted for over 30% of breaches in the education sector. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency even issued a special alert on threats against schools resulting in . Cyber attacks on schools are . They can force schools to while the threat is dealt with and could lead to sensitive data being accessed by criminals. Why do school ransomware attacks happen so often?,One of the reasons threat actors attack schools—particularly public school districts—is because they are working with and often lack the resources or to detect or respond to attacks quickly or adequately. Local school districts can sometimes be behind the curve when it comes to technology. For example, last November, the Government Accountability Office that its plan for addressing risks in school is years out of date and needs to be updated to include current cyber threats and more specific guidance around cyber security. To add to the burden on school IT departments, school networks can be accessed by a large number of devices, some of which go home with students or are used for remote learning. At least are perpetrated for fun. Think: students attacking their own school for kicks, such as one student's . There's another reason criminals are targeting schools: the bottom line. Take the Judson Independent School District in Bexar County, Texas. The $547,000 last August after it was the victim of a school ransomware attack. Schools are often under considerable and typically have limited options for data recovery, so they are seen as being more willing to pay. How ransomware is used against schools in 2022,The other major reason why school ransomware attacks can be so effective for the attackers: student information. This information, which schools take pains to keep private, has caused hackers to change their tactics in a few key ways. I'm telling your parents,In a classic ransomware attack, attackers target an organization, tricking someone into opening a malicious email attachment or website through an email phishing campaign. According to the DBIR, ransomware is most often transmitted through desktop sharing or email. The ransomware then locks the organization out of their systems, threatening to either not return the data or publish it online if the organization doesn't pay a ransom, usually in cryptocurrency. Generally, these demands are made against the organization, but a school ransomware attack offers the hacker another attractive target: parents. Criminals have recently started using stolen data to find and contact parents of children in the school district by phone or email. If the school or district doesn't pay up, the ransomware gang will release information about the student on the dark web. It's more than just a threat; reports find the dark web is full of the personal details of schoolchildren, mostly obtained through ransomware attacks. Some attackers even on their websites. Double and triple extortion,Discontent with one payday, criminals have started trying to get two payments from schools—or sometimes even three, according to,Double extortion happens when criminals steal a school's data before the malware encrypts the data. They then ask for one ransom for the decryption key and one ransom to ensure that they delete the victim's data. Of course, that confirmation is verbal, so the schools just have to take the criminals' word for it. Triple extortion happens when the attackers use the information they've gotten from the school in an attempt to extort students' families; the is known for triple extortion using DDoS attacks. How can schools protect students and data?,With all this going on, it's understandable that . For schools with a limited budget, one of the best ways to resist a school ransomware attack is education. The DBIR reports that about half the attacks on schools involve social engineering. Thus, staff should be made aware of phishing tactics and shown how to spot a suspicious message. Students should be taught good cyber hygiene as well. is another important measure that can cut down on malware attacks, including ransomware. If a phishing attack does succeed and credentials are exposed, using more than one method of authentication can protect a system from an attack. Attackers can also take advantage of . Ensuring the latest patches are deployed should be a priority for K-12 IT departments. Lastly, districts should be backing up data regularly. While schools may not be able to control the actions of criminals after data is stolen, backups can at least ensure that no data is lost. Choose your country to view contact details. Manage your account or get tools and information. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. 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