{"id":21034,"date":"2022-10-03T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-03T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lightspeedsystems.com\/blog\/protect-k12-school-cyberattacks\/"},"modified":"2024-12-05T22:54:50","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T22:54:50","slug":"protect-k12-school-cyberattacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lightspeedsystems.com\/ja\/blog\/protect-k12-school-cyberattacks\/","title":{"rendered":"\u5c0f\u4e2d\u5b66\u6821\u3092\u30b5\u30a4\u30d0\u30fc\u653b\u6483\u304b\u3089\u5b88\u308b\u65b9\u6cd5"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Four days.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the average amount of time school networks are down after a cyberattack. Recovery takes even longer\u2014around 30 days\u2014according to a report from Comparitech.<\/a><\/p>\n

Cyberattacks against US schools are deeply disruptive and expensive. According to the same report, ransomware attacks against colleges and K-12 districts cost educational institutions $3.56 billion in downtime alone and impacted over 950,00 students.<\/p>\n

The number of reported cyberattacks against K-12 has increased dramatically since 2016.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Cybercriminals are targeting districts<\/a> with increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks designed to steal money and data. Districts must do everything they can to prevent cyberattacks. To better understand what districts are up against, we\u2019ll examine three common ways schools are cyberattacked and how they can protect themselves<\/a> and their students\u2019 data.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n1. Malware attacks
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Malware is one of the most dangerous types of cyberattacks because it can be hard to spot quickly. Often, schools encounter malware as a virus that attacks student devices to gain information or cause harm to district networks.<\/p>\n

The most well-known type of malware is ransomware\u2014where a district\u2019s network data is hijacked and held hostage until a ransom is paid. In the absence of payment, hackers may publish students\u2019 private data. Several such attacks against districts have received widespread media attention.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\nWhat can K-12 districts do to protect themselves from malware attacks?
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School devices, malicious links or websites, and outdated software can all serve as entry points for malware.<\/p>\n

Districts need to ensure they have strong firewalls at the network and application levels<\/strong> to help stop malware from infiltrating a district\u2019s network. Additionally, the district\u2019s web filter can be an effective tool. For instance, Lightspeed Filter\u2122 offers security features that help categorize and block malware.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Next, districts should create and maintain a malware playbook with the steps they will take if a malware attack occurs. The malware playbook should include a contact list (such as a district\u2019s insurance carrier and even the local FBI contact) and address the district\u2019s communication plan, detailing who will need to be notified and what information will be shared should an attack occur. It is important to test the playbook, so districts should run a gameday around it.<\/p>\n

In the case of a successful malware attack, seek\u202fimmediate professional help. Malware can be very serious and fighting it requires a strong understanding of cybersecurity and security systems. The solution here is not to deal with it individually unless you are a professional.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\n2. Denial of service attacks
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Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks account for roughly half of all cybercrimes committed against schools. During a DDoS attack, a school\u2019s website or network will be purposefully inundated with requests.<\/a> This causes all network communication, both in- and outbound, to freeze.<\/p>\n

These attacks can be conducted by third parties for a nominal fee, making DDoS attacks a low barrier to entry for anyone (even a student<\/a>) looking to keep a school from going about its business.<\/p>\n

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\nWhat can K-12 districts do to protect themselves from DDoS attacks?
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Robust firewalls<\/strong> can help identify incoming attacks, notify administrators, and block the damage.<\/p>\n

To mitigate the fallout of a DDoS attack, create backup sites and systems that can handle redirected web traffic<\/strong>, known as network redundancy. This helps districts keep running if their primary systems go down.<\/p>\n

Cloudflare is a possible solution as well, depending on your district\u2019s website. If your district\u2019s website is hosted in a cloud provider, the provider likely already offers some protection.<\/p>\n

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\n3. Breaches of student and staff data
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Schools are responsible for vast amounts of data about their students, including:<\/p>\n