Top 4 Cyber Security Threats in the Education Sector
Education institutions are ever-increasing targets for cybercriminals. The more the education sector starts to use computers and the Internet frequently, they extend their attack surface and start to fall victim to cyber threats. Although there are many risks that institutions might face, data leakage and cyber-attacks are the most common ones. They use plenty of technological devices, cloud systems, and other tools that put education-related data on the line.
Cyber awareness has been increasing in corporations. But in the education sector, awareness is not adequate. Many people think that they do not need any protection in their schools or courses. They are wrong because cyber security measures are compulsory in any data-related sector. Educational institutions process so much sensitive data, and they are more vulnerable to cyber threats. The student, teacher, and staff data security cannot be ignored.
So, we can clearly say that advanced protection is not a preference for the education sector, it is imperative. To know how to protect an organization against cyber threats, potential threats should be determined in advance.
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Top 4 Cyber Threats in the Education Sector
- Malware
- Phishing
- DDoS Attacks
- Data Breaches
1. Data Leakage
The most common cyber threat in the education sector is a data breach. Because educational institutions, especially schools hold a significant amount of personal data that consists of student, teacher, staff, and even parent information. The information type is variable such as social security numbers, information of bank accounts, addresses, health data, etc. This kind of private data can be an amazing target for cybercriminals. If the importance of personal data is taken into account, the vitality of protection in school databases can be understood clearly.
On the other hand, there are so many smart devices on school premises such as IoT devices. The IoT (Internet of Things) states the physical equipment that has an Internet connection. These devices can connect to an external environment without the need for wireless. The IoT devices gather information from the distance environment through the Internet connection. For instance, they collect temperature, number, or movement data from the surrounding objects.
Among other online security measures, IT managers should know how to secure IoT devices and should move forward in this direction. Because IoT devices are the root cause of many breaches and bring further cyber safety issues.
The IoT devices’ onboard security is insufficient. They have simple hardware so their hardware can not limit threats from turning into a disaster. This deficiency causes even the simple sensor system to be an entry point to malicious attackers. The solution is to create robust inventory, monitor, and set up security protocols. If an IT team can properly manage to fill the void of security that IoT devices create, they do not need to be afraid of the risks anymore.
2. Phishing
Phishing is another concern for the education sector. In the Phishing attack, cyber criminals send links via emails that look legitimate and make people click them. When people click the tricky links, they allow criminals to obtain their personal data or vulnerable information. Because in a phishing attack, fake links contain malware or ransomware, which are the actors of data theft.
So, phishing is an excellent tactic for cybercriminals to achieve their noxious purposes. Firstly, emails and other links containing data traffic are really common in schools. Secondly, students are especially more prone to these kinds of phishing attacks because they can not distinguish malicious emails or links from real ones.
3. DoS Attack
There is a high possibility that the education sector may be a victim of the Denial-of-service Attack (DoS). In this method, cybercriminals deliberately send requests to network resources or servers. Eventually, they shut down the server or the network resources and block the access of intended users. With the help of the traffic they created, they can retrieve private information and vulnerable data that are kept in school resources. As with any attack that is mentioned above, students, teachers, and staff should be informed about DoS Attacks also and they should be able to realise when it occurs.
4. Outdated Software
Using the latest technology and cyber security solutions is vital. In this regard, software updates should be considered in terms of cyber security. When software is outdated or unpatched, it becomes more prone to cyber threats and creates a higher risk for the organization.
Although keeping software updated is the IT manager’s responsibility, they can get help from the latest security solutions such as SaSe, Zero Trust, and IAM technology. The school administration should employ IT specialists to plan and observe network movements. So they can follow up on the newest solutions to protect themselves against attacks.
Top 4 Cyber Security Threats in the Education Sector – To Conclude
The education enterprises have numerous devices that pose a risk for cyber security. Modern schools use computers, servers, and cloud-based systems to run their education service. Furthermore, the people in these facilities are more vulnerable than the average person. All these factors increase the risk of a data breach, phishing, and DoS threats. When these threats occur in the education sector, the consequences can be devastating. To avoid undesirable consequences and loss of reputation, education institutions should take swift action to adopt eligible technologies that prevent school assets from being damaged.
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