DATASHEET
Safeguarding Educational Institutions Against Cyber Threats
Ransomware, network access offers, data breaches and infostealer infections targeting schools and universities.
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The education sector remains one of the most targeted by cybercriminals. Large, distributed user bases of students and staff, remote access and limited security resources make schools and universities soft targets. This datasheet reviews the persistent threats KELA observed against the sector in 2023.
Ransomware and extortion actors impacted more than 470 education victims since 2021, with the US accounting for almost 60% of attacks and LockBit, Vice Society and Clop responsible for 30% of them, while initial access brokers listed around 230 education network accesses for sale.
What's inside:
- Ransomware attacks on K-12 and higher education, including Vice Society’s focus on the sector
- Around 230 network access listings for educational institutions sold between 2021 and 2023
- Database dumps and exploits exposing students’ PII and university systems
- Accounts compromised by infostealers: almost 70% of the top targeted education services belong to US universities
- Recommendations: awareness training, backups, MFA and monitoring cybercrime sources
