"Education Sector Experienced 44% Increase in Cyberattacks Over Last Year"

Security researchers at Check Point have discovered that the education sector experienced a 44% increase in cyberattacks when compared to 2021, with an average of 2297 attacks against organizations every week.  The researchers stated that academic institutions are currently sitting ducks.  The researchers found education to be the most impacted sector for the whole of 2022.  The researchers noted that while most companies only have employees, academic institutions don’t just have teachers and lecturers, they also have students, making networks in the sector much bigger, more open, and more difficult to protect.  The researchers noted that students are not employees; they use their own devices, work from shared flats, and connect to free WiFi without necessarily considering the security risks.  This combination of a lack of understanding and ignorance has contributed to the perfect storm, giving hackers a free run.  The researchers stated that academic institutions should adopt a prevent-first approach by integrating best practices such as network segmentation, multi-factor authentication, and endpoint security.  If this is done, then academic institutions can begin to fight back against malicious cybercriminals.

Infosecurity reports: "Education Sector Experienced 44% Increase in Cyberattacks Over Last Year"