"IBM is Helping These Schools Build up Their Ransomware Defenses"

IBM announced on Tuesday that it has expanded a program to improve the cybersecurity defenses of public schools with $5 million in grants.  IBM stated that $5 million of in-kind grants would be awarded to public schools, including K-12 institutions in the United States.  While IBM's existing grants program has previously focused on US schools, the scheme has now expanded to other countries.   IBM said these programs are necessary to "help address cybersecurity resiliency in schools, including against ransomware."  IBM noted that six grants are being awarded to US school districts.  In addition, four grants are destined for Brazil, Costa Rica, Ireland, and the United Arab Emirates.  Each award is worth $500,000, bringing the total to $5 million in resources and hours.  IBM teams will work with schools to audit existing defenses and create playbooks for incident response.  In addition, they will address cybersecurity awareness and training for staff, students, and parents and develop a management-level strategic plan for handling communication in the aftermath of a cyberattack.  According to research by Emsisoft, more than 1,000 educational establishments in the US alone suffered a ransomware attack in 2021, including school districts, colleges, and universities.  Charles Henderson, head of IBM Security X-Force, stated that for schools, a significant barrier to strengthening their cybersecurity posture often comes down to constrained budgets.  

ZDNet reports: "IBM is Helping These Schools Build up Their Ransomware Defenses"