Security & Privacy


text reads State of Ransomware 2023 by Sophos and includes figures for recovery costs from the last three years

K–12 Ransomware Attacks Rose 43% in 2022, Encryption Used More Often, Survey Shows

Eight out of 10 K–12 school districts surveyed for Sophos’ 2023 State of Ransomware Report said they were hit by ransomware last year — a 43% increase from the previous year’s results — making the K–12 education sector the most-popular ransomware target in the world in 2022.

Image shows K12SIX logo, the words

K12 SIX Invites Input for 2023-24 Updates to Essential Cybersecurity Protections Series

Cybersecurity nonprofit K12 Security Information Exchange is inviting K–12 IT and network security practitioners to submit their input and feedback for the upcoming 2023–24 edition of the K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections Series of guides for public schools’ risk management efforts.

image shows sample Safety Blueprint digital map of a school building with precise locations and details of every safety and security asset

New Centegix Software Optimizes Incident Response with Dynamic Digital Mapping

Incident response software provider Centegix has introduced a digital mapping solution called Safety Blueprint that provides a “dynamic, multi-layered map of all campus facilities and spaces, including the precise location of all safety assets,” to help district leaders plan better incident management and emergency response, according to a news release.

$5 Million School Cybersecurity Grant Program Now Open

In response to increases in ransomware attacks in the education sector, IBM is expanding its Education Security Preparedness Grants program, offering $5 million in in-kind grants "to help address cybersecurity resiliency in schools."

CISA Releases Toolkit for Bystander Reporting Programs for K–12 Admins

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center have published a new guide to help K–12 schools strengthen their school safety reporting programs with actionable advice for encouraging students and school stakeholders to report potentially unsafe situations.

Education Impacted by Ransomware More Than Any Other Sector

In its new State of Ransomware 2023 report, data security provider Sophos found that the education sector had been impacted by ransomware significantly more than any other sector.

Applications Open for Women in Cybersecurity Certified Training Camp

The nonprofit organization Women in Cybersecurity has partnered with the Information System Security Certification Consortium, aka (ISC)², to launch their new Certified in Cybersecurity Certification Summer Camp.

Raptor Tech Partners with Foundation on Integrated Response and Reunification Training for Schools

School safety provider Raptor Technologies and The “I Love U Guys” Foundation will integrate the nonprofit’s practical methodologies with Raptor’s software to offer a joint training program to teach schools how to standardize safety procedures and reunifications following emergencies, according to a news release.

Image reads Proofpoint 2023 Voice of the CISO

Two-Thirds of U.S. Education CISOs See Material Cyber Attack as Likely in Next 12 Months

Nearly two-thirds of chief information security officers in the U.S. education sector believe they’re likely to experience a material cyber attack in the next 12 months, and 62% have dealt with a material loss of sensitive information in the past 12 months, according to the newest Voice of the CISO report published this week by cybersecurity company Proofpoint.

K–12 IT Pros See Careless Insiders and Foreign Governments as Top Security Threats

A new survey of public sector IT professionals finds that the biggest data security threats come from a wide range of sources, from simple carelessness to intentional hacking from foreign governments.