🚨 Cybersecurity Snapshot: Education 2025
- 23% increase in ransomware attacks on schools in the first half of 2025
- 61% of education IT leaders say their district was targeted in the past 12 months
- $556,000 average ransom demand per attack
- Education is the 4th most targeted sector worldwide, and in some reports, the most attacked
来源： Comparitech, Semperis
Ransomware attacks against K–12 schools are rising fast, and getting smarter. According to Comparitech, ransomware incidents in education jumped 23% in the first half of 2025, with an average ransom demand of $556,000. Semperis reports that 61% of IT and security leaders in education say their organizations were targeted in the past year.
One reason? Artificial intelligence is making it easier for hackers to create convincing phishing lures, write flawless scam emails, and automate their attacks. Amy McLaughlin from CoSN puts it bluntly: “The sophistication continues to increase, and that’s getting fueled by AI.”
Schools are particularly vulnerable because they hold massive amounts of sensitive student and staff data, yet most districts face tight budgets and thinly stretched IT teams. That’s a dangerous combination.
The Stakes for K–12
Beyond operational disruption, ransomware groups often threaten to leak stolen student and employee information if districts don’t pay up. The FBI and CISA strongly advise against paying ransom, there’s no guarantee attackers will decrypt files, and paying only fuels more attacks.
Prevention is cheaper, safer, and far less disruptive than recovery. That’s where having the right tools in place is critical.
How Can Districts Stay Ahead of Cyberattacks?
Lightspeed Systems partners with K–12 districts to strengthen their defenses where attackers often find their way in: through risky web traffic, anonymizing tools, and poorly vetted apps.
1. Blocking Risky and Malicious Sites
We maintain and continually update a trusted database of tens of millions of malicious and high-risk URLs, blocking phishing sites, known malware hosts, and other dangerous destinations before students or staff can click. Our AI-enhanced classification and human oversight help districts stop many attacks before they even start.
📖 Read more: How Lightspeed Filter Stops Threats Before They Start
2. Detecting and Blocking Anonymizers
VPNs, proxies, and other anonymizers are a favorite tactic for bypassing school protections. Lightspeed automatically detects and blocks these tools, shutting down an attacker’s ability to hide activity or sneak around security policies.
📖 Read more: The Hidden Risks of VPNs in K–12
3. Managing access to AI tools without overblocking
Easy policy management for generative AI with AI activity reporting and three filtering categories to allow, limit, or block tools. Categories cover general AI sites, generative AI content creation tools, and AI-powered detection tools, allowing districts to enable safe, instructional AI use while blocking risky or inappropriate features.
📖 Read more: 5 Ways to Support AI Policy Decisions with Lightspeed Systems
4. Vetting Apps for Data Privacy and Security Compliance
Many attacks and breaches stem from insecure or non-compliant third-party apps. Lightspeed Insight provides detailed privacy, security, and compliance reviews so districts know which apps meet standards and which put student data at risk. Districts can spot unapproved apps in use, then take action to block or replace them.
📖 Read more: Protecting Student Data with Lightspeed Insight
What Can Districts Do to Build a Cybersecurity Culture?
Technology alone isn’t enough. District leaders should also:
- Implement tight app and vendor vetting processes
- Designate a point person for cybersecurity strategy
- Provide regular training for all staff
- Require MFA and use anti-phishing tools
- Maintain offline backups
- Practice incident response like a fire drill
With AI giving attackers new advantages, districts need equally advanced defenses—and a proactive plan. Lightspeed helps schools protect learning, safeguard student privacy, and keep critical systems running, even as threats evolve.
