We’ve heard it for months and you may already know: Education is now the #1 most attacked industry in the United States with K-12 school districts being prime targets for cybercriminals. But you might not know that in just the last 6 months of 2023, there was an 84% increase in the number of cyberattacks on school districts in the US. You’ve probably felt the pressure to keep your networks safe – coming from parents, your superintendent, the school Board, and your larger community.
The rise of more sophisticated Ransomware Groups has contributed to a significant increase in attacks on K-12 school districts. These new highly commercialized Ransomware-as-a-Service Operators have up to a hundred or more “affiliates” and can strike multiple targets at once, making them more dangerous than old-school hackers who would focus their efforts on a much smaller number of targets. These groups of bad actors comb the web for publicly available email addresses and then use the email addresses of your students, staff and administrators to try to access your networks. Because school districts make contact information easily available, they are continually targeted by these Ransomware Gangs via phishing attempts.
There are a variety of ways a school district can protect itself against Ransomware Gangs. One of the best ways to do this is through a customized pentesting exercise that can be done to test against the specific types of attack methods that Ransomware Gangs are currently using. Securus360’s BAS (Breach & Attack Simulation) services can determine how safe your district is within a few hours and implement changes to ensure your district is secure from that specific attack. This type of security testing covers many different attack methods, mimicking the styles of attacks that Ransomware Gangs are using.
But even if your district has limited resources and cannot pentest as frequently as you would like, there’s another important line of defense:
The cybersecurity landscape is always changing, and since Ransomware Gangs continue to target publicly available email addresses as well as other social engineering methods, your first line of defense should always include a robust security awareness training program for your faculty & staff as well as students.
We know the last thing your teachers and staff want to do is suffer through long training sessions or boring video clips, featuring outdated technology. Or to waste time clicking through a mind-numbing PowerPoint presentation that doesn’t teach any practical skills or actionable tips and tricks.
Luckily, over the past 5 years, the security awareness training industry has completely changed. Utilizing the latest technology, from AI to content development to video production, more and more quality tools have become available for organizations of any size to arm their employees with the information they need to keep bad actors at bay. These interactive and engaging courses feature top-notch animation, gamified modules, and video shorts with Hollywood-level production values. This is not your grandparents’ security training, and it’s updated daily to keep up with the evolving threats of the cyber landscape.
The first step is to begin Security Awareness Training (SAT) for your teachers and staff as soon as possible. At Securus360, we offer SAT that takes your staff through 7 easy-to-digest training modules updated with the latest cybersecurity information and tactics. We focus on powerful, applicable and important information that your staff needs to protect themselves against today’s cybersecurity threats. With this basic-level SAT, you’ll set your district up for an immediate improvement of your cybersecurity posture, particularly around phishing and social engineering attacks that are being launched against your staff and students every day. Our SAT training is included in most levels of service for our customers.
With organized and highly sophisticated cybercriminals such as Ransomware-as-a-Service Gangs that are targeting K-12 school districts, you can never be too prepared. Ensure your team is ready to fight the battle against cyberattacks by arming them with the most robust cybersecurity awareness training.
A basic SAT program will get you started on the right path, but it is limited. As cybersecurity threats evolve quickly and the cybercriminals’ methods are changing constantly, it is important to ensure your staff stays up to date on the latest threats and how to combat them. Securus360 has partnered with industry-leading SAT company CYBEREADY to provide school districts with the most advanced Security Awareness Training and Phishing Simulation available today. Feel free to view a recording of our recent webinar: "Building a Cyber-Resilient K-12 District: The Power of Security Awareness Training". CYBEREADY is offering an all-you-can-eat, full-featured, no strings attached 3-month trial for school districts looking for the next level of security awareness training for their organization.
Contact Daniel Eickhoff at deickhoff@securus360.com or (949) 266-0246 to request your free, full-featured, all-you-can-eat, 90-day CYBEREADY Trial today!