Key points:
- Schools are using more edtech than ever–but they’re also more vulnerable to cyberattacks
- Account monitoring, strong passwords, and strict access controls are just a few of the strategies schools can use to protect their networks
- See related article: 4 key ways schools can strengthen and advance cybersecurity strategies
K-12 schools are facing an increased risk of cyberattacks due to a combination of competing factors. School districts have sprawling networks where availability often takes precedence over security, but are constrained in managing those networks by limited resources and overstretched IT teams.
Meanwhile, the increased use of cloud-based email and remote learning technologies, along with inadequately managed virtual private networks (VPNs), have made schools an attractive target for the types of basic attacks that larger organizations are better prepared to defend against.
A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on K-12 cybersecurity found that attacks have been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to adopt more remote learning. It also discovered that the damage from those attacks is growing. In total, the GAO found that the range of impacts from cybersecurity attacks includes:
- Loss of instructional time for students, ranging from a couple days to over three weeks.
- Slow recovery time that often took between two and nine months.
- Large financial impact, ranging from $50,000 to over $1 million, with costs including replacement of computer hardware and enhancing cybersecurity to prevent future attacks.
That combination of contributing factors may put schools at a disadvantage against malicious actors, but there are several steps schools can take to help them deter the most common attack vectors.
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