According to Trustwave, elementary school systems handle sensitive data about minors, while higher education institutions must protect intellectual property data and are prime targets for cyberattacks.
These attacks not only threaten the safety and security of teachers and administrators, but also the privacy of students, staff, and other related parties.
With millions of students now learning through technology in hybrid, remote, or in-class environments, device security is no longer an option. Ensuring a safe and secure learning environment for everyone is extremely important. Strong cybersecurity measures protect student data and allow teachers to work efficiently without fear of disruption or data breaches.
The education sector is vulnerable to cyber-attacks due to multiple factors
Factors that make the education industry particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks include:
- BYOD dilemma: A “bring your own device” culture creates security challenges and strains IT resources by adding unmanaged devices to the network.
- Complex infrastructure: Diverse devices, distributed IT management, and inconsistent security practices create a vast attack surface with vulnerabilities.
- Mountains of data: The vast amount of sensitive student data (PII, research, IP) attracts attackers for data breaches and identity theft, amplified by online collaboration and open internet access.
- Exposed systems and services: Publicly accessible network devices such as servers, building management systems, access systems, and cameras lack adequate security, increasing risk.
- Lack of resources: Limited budgets prevent investments in cybersecurity software and staff, leaving critical systems poorly protected.
- Legacy risk: Old IT systems remain vulnerable to exploitation due to a lack of updates and security patches.
Trustwave SpiderLabs' latest research delves into the attack flows used by threat groups and reveals their tactics, techniques, and procedures. The education sector faces significant cybersecurity risks, from recruitment scams targeting students to serious risks to network equipment due to vulnerabilities in public applications.
Students are being preyed upon with fake job offers, lucrative opportunities with high salaries, and flexible working hours. In some cases, students may receive a fraudulent check and be instructed to deposit it and send some of the funds elsewhere.
Corey Daniels, Trustwave CISO, said: “The education sector faces incredible challenges in dealing with a diverse and fluid attack surface amidst increasing financial pressures, and digital leaders need to There is little margin for error as we aim to remain resilient to threats.”
“Student, staff, alumni, and faculty data each provide different temptations and incentives for threat actors to maliciously target the institution and its associates. Our latest threat briefing , will serve as a critical resource for cyber defenders, providing actionable insights as they address the latest threats and defenses for students, staff, and data,” Daniels continued.
New notable trends
Trustwave SpiderLabs discovered that critical systems and devices, including public file servers, printers, collaboration systems, and systems storing sensitive data, were exposed to significant breaches. Shodan's analysis and scans revealed that over 1.8 million of his devices related to the education industry were exposed.
The education sector, like many other sectors, relies heavily on third-party vendors such as software as a service, hosting providers, IT services for various functions such as storage, learning management systems, email, communication and collaboration tools, etc. I am.
These third parties pose significant risks to the education sector due to undiscovered or unfixed gaps in cybersecurity controls and data breach prevention. A breach not only impacts the directly targeted educational institution, but can have a ripple effect across numerous educational institutions that rely on the same third-party service.
Ransomware attacks hitting the education industry are prominent and on the rise. For example, in 2023, Trustwave researchers monitored her 352 ransomware claims against educational institutions. Threat group LockBit accounted for 30% of ransomware incidents targeting the education sector.
Apache Log4j (CVE-2021-44228) continues to be the most common exploitation attempt against educational institutions, accounting for 74% of attempts.
