Ransomware Attacks Increase for Educational Institutions
When it comes to business cybersecurity incidents, the education sector is one of the most lucrative targets for hackers. This is because they know that schools have a lot of valuable data on their computers and they are not always able to protect themselves against these opportunistic cybercriminals and their ransomware attacks.
In fact, education institutions have reported that, in 2021 alone, there was an average of 1605 attacks per week according to a report released by Check Point Software Technologies. This is why it’s so important for schools to take proactive steps towards protecting themselves from being hacked.
However, even with the best security systems in place, there are still a lot of ways that hackers can get into your network without you knowing about it.
Log4j Vulnerability Issues
One of the most common ways that hackers find their way into your network is through vulnerabilities in software. These vulnerabilities can be found in any number of different applications, but one of the most popular ones is log4j. It’s a tool for logging information about what your computer does and when it does it.
It’s a very useful tool for developers, but it can also be used to find ways into your system. If a hacker finds a vulnerability in log4j, they can use it to get into your education facility’s network and start looking around for other vulnerabilities that they can exploit. This is why it’s so important for schools to take proactive steps towards protecting themselves from being hacked.
Ransomware Attacks and Your Employees
One of the more pressing forms of cyber crime is ransomware. This is a form of malware that your employees may encounter when they’re at home, and it can be used to hold files hostage until you pay the hacker who created it. This means that if your staff members have their computers infected with ransomware while they’re away from work, they might not be able to get into their files when they return to work on Monday morning.
That, or in the case of more nefarious hackers, they might be able to get into your files and steal confidential information. The best way to protect yourself from this scenario is by having a strong IT security policy in place that tells employees what they can and can’t do with their computers when they’re away from work.
Investing in Employee Cybersecurity Education
Our experts at Arruda Group have stated it many times before, that one of the best steps in cybersecurity is to educate your employees on how to stay safe online. This means teaching them about the dangers of phishing scams, ransomware attacks and other common types of cybercrime. If you don’t do this, then chances are they’ll be more likely to fall victim to hackers who have targeted your school specifically.
Conclusion for Ransomware and Educational Institutions
We hope that these tips will help your college or university stay protected from ransomware attacks. If you would like to learn more about our cyber security consulting services, please do not hesitate to contact our team at Arruda Group for more information.
