A return to normal does not mean that IT administrators can take their eye off the ball regarding cybersecurity
Schools are a popular target for cyber attackers. This is partly due to the amount of staff, student and general learning information being held on the network, but also because the nature of education means that access to data is often allowed, either for continued research or to review coursework, for a period of time after students leave. Security best practice is a challenge in this environment, but recent rapid changes have provided an excellent opportunity to review these practices for the coming year.
When the pandemic struck, schools had to adapt quickly with a wholesale shift to remote learning. Staff and students found themselves using new platforms such as Zoom or Teams to communicate, as well as making use of online file-storage systems for uploading, reviewing and marking coursework. Attackers took immediate advantage of this change, targeting newly implemented technologies to access resources and steal data. Their methods included credential thefts, password scams, Zoom-(and other video conferencing tools)-bombing and ransomware.
The level of attacks settled during 2020 as schools became more used to remote learning and other new ways of working, but this situation may be about to change. With global vaccination programs underway and return-to-work programs in development, everyone is planning for a return to bricks-and-mortar, including education systems. This provides attackers with an opportunity to hide in the confusion caused by a massive rush of people re-joining school networks. Any establishment not monitoring for unusual behavior patterns on the network could be placing itself at risk for an attack.
Back to School: Planning for ..
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