School threats and vulnerabilities

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Cyberattacks on K-12 schools became a serious concern for schools and education agencies in recent years. The widespread adoption of online learning platforms, student information systems, and digital tools created new opportunities for cybercriminals to infiltrate and steal data.

For example, large school districts like Los Angeles Unified School District faced paying out huge ransoms to prevent stolen information from being leaked online. IT departments everywhere saw a jump in phishing attempts, malware exploits, and even learning interruptions during virtual classes.

Consider the number of incidents reported by K12 Security Information eXchange (K12 SIX) between the period of 2016-2022.

K12 SIX cataloged over 1,619 reported incidents in K-12 education since 2016. That's a rate of more than one incident each school day across the U.S. Take a moment to learn about a few incidents in U.S. schools using the K-12 Cyber Incident Map.

Understand the factors

There are a variety of reasons why cybercriminals focus on the education industry. One reason is because IT departments in schools tend to be understaffed and operate on tight budgets. IT professionals are often expected to do more with less when it comes to their time and resources.

Another contributing factor is a general susceptibility to social engineering exploits like phishing, malware, and ransomware. Many K-12 administrators, educators, and students don't have the training to recognize and respond to threats they might encounter while working in schools. As a result, more threats become actual incidents that impact teaching and learning.

Probably the single most significant reason why education is the focus of so many cyberthreats is because of the amount of sensitive, personal information stored in K-12 systems. Schools control all types of personally identifiable information (PII) like names, birthdates, social security numbers, health information, educational records, and more. Cybercriminals can sell this information on the dark web for lots of money or, if there is a ransomware attack, threaten to release the data unless a large ransom is paid.

How to respond to increasing threats

Zero Trust security approaches and implementing cloud-first strategies are two of the many ways schools are responding to cyberthreats and attacks. The reality of K-12 cybersecurity in today's digital age requires IT professionals to adopt comprehensive security protocols, develop incident response plans, create training and awareness campaigns, and much more.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) encourages IT teams to follow recommendations like these as a part of a robust security strategy. Explore some of the ways schools are putting responsive and proactive measures in place to address cybersecurity threats.

Security measure	Description
Proactive security measures	Reducing online exposure and vulnerable points of entry is essential when securing a K-12 digital ecosystem. This involves implementing basic cybersecurity measures to mitigate potential risks associated with unauthorized access, data breaches, and other malicious activities. CISA recommends reducing online exposure and limiting access to data by external attackers. This can be achieved by implementing strict privacy policies, controlling access to data, and promoting responsible online behavior among students, educators, and staff. It also involves educating the school community about the importance of strong passwords, safe browsing habits, and being cautious while sharing personal information. By instilling a culture of digital security, K-12 schools can significantly reduce the chances of falling victim to cyber threats.
Incident response plans (IRPs)	Experiencing a cybersecurity incident involving the disruption of school operations, fraud, or a potential data breach is stressful. The way a school or district handles and responds to security incidents has a significant impact on how well they can manage and reduce risks. Having a plan in place is key. CISA recommends that school leaders and IT teams work with stakeholder groups to create, maintain, and exercise a basic cyber incident response plan that includes clear procedures to follow if there's a cyberattack.
Awareness, vigilance, and preparedness	The primary cause of most cyberattacks stems from unintentional mistakes made and a lack of proper adherence to cybersecurity protocols. These simple errors create vulnerabilities—leaving schools exposed to malicious attacks. Training educators, staff, and students can greatly strengthen your school's cybersecurity posture. A strong training and awareness campaign helps build a collective defense against cyberattacks, reducing the likelihood of successful breaches and minimizing the potential impact on your school's digital infrastructure and sensitive data. CISA recommends that all staff members receive annual training on phishing, email compromise, basic operational security (OPSEC), and password security. Explore CISA's staff cybersecurity resources to get started.
Collaboration, data sharing, and incident reporting	K-12 entities face a dual challenge—limited funding for cybersecurity resources and the constant onslaught of evolving threats. In this ever-changing landscape, no one entity has the capacity to do it all. One way you can effectively combat these challenges is to emphasize collaboration and information sharing within your cybersecurity networks. Through collective knowledge and shared insights, K-12 organizations can stay informed of emerging threats and allocate their limited resources strategically. With this approach, your team can make informed decisions and fortify your defenses against potential risks, ultimately safeguarding sensitive data and providing a secure digital environment for students and staff alike. CISA recommends that K-12 schools report every cyber incident, every time. Reporting cybersecurity incidents, phishing attempts, malware, vulnerabilities, and cybercrimes provides several benefits.