The nonprofit K12 Security Information Exchange (K12 SIX) has released its highly anticipated cybersecurity standards of practice for K–12 schools and districts, a companion to the K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections released in August. The group also released a free self-assessment tool for information technology and information security leaders.
A new threat report from data security firm CrowdStrike found that criminals engaging in intrusion into information systems are getting much more efficient at what they do. It also found that intrusions into academic systems are soaring.
A previously unnamed remote access Trojan, or RAT, that had until recently been targeting local governments in France, has set its sights on the education sector in the United States. It’s being deployed by PYSA/Mespinoza ransomware operators, according to new research.
Seventy-five percent of malware is going undetected by “traditional malware solutions,” according to a new report. And 74% of threats detected in the last quarter were zero-day malware, an all-time high, according to the researchers.
Malware being delivered via removable media, such as USB drives, nearly doubled last year, according to a new report.
In the last year, to help its community of students, families, teachers and staff through the pandemic, K-12 districts began offering new services. Those included contract tracing, remote counseling and more.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 06/01/21
Twenty-three percent of school systems have a full-time employee dedicated to network security. According to a new survey, urban districts were the most likely (41%) to have a cybersecurity specialist on staff, while rural and town districts were least likely (each with 15%); 19% of suburban districts reported a specialist.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 06/01/21
Students have been moving around quite a bit during remote learning — sometimes studying at friends houses, sometimes studying from multiple states.
As education institutions aim to become more flexible to meet modern demands, teachers will continue operating under hybrid learning models — making the need for disruption-free virtual lessons and network access all the more critical. To best accommodate these needs, investing in a flexible IT infrastructure that can support remote-learning, especially as our country undergoes one of the most pivotal time periods in history, will be an important factor.
American schools suffered 408 information security attacks in 2020, according to the public disclosures they made. That was 18% higher than districts experienced in 2019.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 03/10/21