The most dangerous cyber threats that may face the education sector
Hackers and other cybercriminals target educational institutions to steal sensitive information and gain unauthorized access to critical systems. The most common cybersecurity threats to the education sector include:
1- Malware attacks:
Malware attacks on higher education institutions increased by a whopping 26% in 2022, according to the SonicWall Cyber Threat Report , as cybercriminals deploy malware on educational institutions’ systems to gain unauthorized access to their internal systems.
SonicWall also reported a 146% increase in malware attacks against smart devices in the education sector. Threats of this type are expected to increase as the Internet of Things becomes more widespread and educational institutions adopt more smart devices for daily use.
How to prevent malware attacks:
Malware attacks are constantly evolving, so the best way to prevent them in educational institutions is through continuous training and education of employees in cybersecurity. Organizations should also use security software, such as anti-malware software, to protect their systems.
According to a Comparitech report published in March 2024, 75% of organizations have experienced a malware attack that spread from one employee to another. Therefore, during training sessions, employees should be exposed to examples of malware attacks so that they can accurately identify these attacks and try to prevent them during their daily work and communications.
2- Ransomware attacks:
Ransomware attacks occur when cybercriminals steal an organization's data or take control of its systems and demand a cash payment before relinquishing control to the organization.
Ransomware attacks cause significant damage to educational institutions due to their long duration, the associated financial loss, and their role in causing long-term disruption to core operations.
According to a 2023 report by Sophos , 80% of education IT professionals reported that their organization experienced a ransomware attack in 2022.
In the future, cybercriminals will continue to target the education sector with ransomware because many previous attacks have been successful. Some of the most notable previous ransomware attacks on the education sector include:
- In June 2020, hackers used a Netwalker ransomware attack to encrypt sensitive data stored on UCSF servers, demanding that the university pay $1,140,895 in Bitcoin for the decryption key.
- In March 2021, hackers demanded $40 million after stealing the personal data of about 50,000 employees and students at Broward County Public Schools in Florida, including Social Security numbers and health care information, but the school refused to pay the ransom.
- In May 2020, cybercriminals exploited a botched fix in one of Michigan State University’s VPNs and demanded a large ransom. The university refused to pay the ransom, focused on upgrading its IT department, and implemented multi-factor authentication (MFA).
How to Prevent Ransomware Attacks:
Educational institutions can prevent ransomware attacks by installing improved data security and developing security measures to prevent unauthorized access, and ensuring that all software is updated to reduce vulnerabilities.
As Michigan State University did after it was attacked, educational institutions must develop centralized IT resources so that different departments can have the security solutions they need.
3- Phishing attacks:
Phishing attacks are attacks that collect user information disguised as a legitimate website or email account. These attacks typically target the following personal information:
- Login credentials.
- Credit card numbers.
- Bank account numbers.
- Social Security numbers.
- Phone numbers.
In the education sector, phishing scams may target student data, research data, or employee credentials. Phishing scams typically trick users into clicking a link, downloading a file, or engaging in competitive activities on a fraudulent website.
How to prevent phishing attacks:
Cybersecurity awareness training is the best way to protect yourself from phishing emails. This involves training employees on how to recognize phishing scams, giving them real-life examples, and training them on what to do if they are targeted.
4- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks:
Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks disrupt a targeted server by overwhelming the server or surrounding infrastructure with continuous traffic. Cybercriminals deploy DDoS attacks through compromised computer systems, IoT devices , and other compromised devices.
As educational institutions begin to use more smart devices than ever before to keep up with the evolving demands of online learning and smart classrooms, this has expanded the opportunity for cybercriminals to carry out distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
How to prevent DDoS attacks:
Educational institutions can prevent DDoS attacks by taking the following measures in the platforms they use:
- Increase cache capacity to improve data retrieval efficiency and reduce stress on primary servers.
- Limit the amount of traffic that can occur during a given period of time to prevent web servers from becoming overwhelmed.
5- Internal threats:
In the education sector, insider threats are current and former students and employees who have access to the institution's network, systems, or data. These individuals can pose a significant risk because they know a lot about the institution's systems.
How to prevent insider threats:
While not all current or former users intend to do anything harmful to the organization they work for, organizations should limit the access that employees have to their systems and manage who has access to what types of data. This will minimize the harm that some individuals can cause to the organization.