Ransomware in Schools Cybertraps 119

• Ransomware is a growing problem for organizations, including schools
  • What is it?
  • How does it happen?
  • Why does it happen? $$$ – $7bn in 2021
  • Who’s doing it?
  • We are all on the front lines now
• Problems for Schools
  • Down time for school personnel, distraction from mission
  • Inability to access data; closure of schools
  • Loss of data, identity theft, invasions of privacy
  • Reputational damage
  • Financial loss
    • Technical and legal fees
    • Ransomware payment
• How Can Schools Protect Themselves
  • Have air-gapped backups
  • Conduct routine cybersecurity audits and threat analysis
  • Training and education for all members of the school community
    • The greater the access, the more training is needed
    • Particular focus on phishing (leading attack vector) and other intrusion methods
  • Competent and thorough IT department
    • Patch, patch, patch
    • Limit ability to install new programs without thorough testing
  • Collaboration with law enforcement
  • Take advantage of increased funds for cybersecurity
    • Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
    • American Rescue Plan Act
  • Increased interest in cybersecurity offers great opportunities for education and job training
• How Much Should Schools Share with the Public?
  • Organizations often face a temptation to not report cybersecurity breaches
  • Have a thorough response plan in place; review and update on a regular basis
  • Consult with law enforcement to avoid interfering with investigation
  • Communicate quickly and thoroughly with parents if (when) a cyberattack occurs
  • Increased transparency helps define the scope of the problem and risk factors for others
• Resources - #2022–03–28 Funding Is Flowing for Cybersecurity Efforts in Every Government Jurisdiction https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/funding-is-flowing-for-cybersecurity-efforts-in-every-government-jurisdiction/ - #2022–03–27 LI schools hit with 29 ransomware attacks, hacks, other cyber incidents in past 3 years https://www.newsday.com/long-island/education/ransomware-cyberattack-virus-school-computer-networks-p5wjjhed - #2022–03–24 Officials are still in the dark on ransomware https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/24/officials-are-still-dark-ransomware/ - #2022–03–24 Why school districts need to be more transparent on cyber https://statescoop.com/podcast/why-school-districts-need-to-be-more-transparent-on-cyber/ - #2022–03–23 Cybercriminals made $7bn in pure profit in 2021, says FBI https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/23/cybercriminals_made_7bn_2021/ - #2022–03–23 FBI, CISA advise 13,000 orgs to have ‘low threshold’ for reporting cyberattacks https://therecord.media/fbi-cisa-advise–13000-orgs-to-have-low-threshold-for-reporting-cyberattacks/ - #2022–03–22 Add a New Dimension to Ransomware Defenses in Education https://campuslifesecurity.com/articles/2022/03/22/add-a-new-dimension-to-ransomware-defenses-in-education.aspx?m=1 - #2022–03–16 APS says no data compromised during January’s cyberattack https://www.abqjournal.com/2480114/aps-said-no-data-compromised-in-cyber-attack.html - #2022–03–15 Cyber Notification Bill Critical, But Won’t Stop Bad Actors Entirely, Says Senator https://broadbandbreakfast.com/2022/03/cyber-notification-bill-critical-but-wont-stop-bad-actors-entirely-says-senator/ - #2002–03–11 Superintendent speaks out about cyber security incident at Altoona Area School District https://wjactv.com/news/local/superintendent-speaks-out-about-cyber-security-incident-at-altoona-area-school-district - #2022–03–10 MA Offers Free Cybersecurity Training to Schools, Cities https://www.govtech.com/education/k–12/ma-offers-free-cybersecurity-training-to-schools-cities - #2022–03–07 Greensville County School board orders technology audit after cyber-attack https://www.emporiaindependentmessenger.com/news/article_e50d935e–9ccc–11ec–8051–2382b6a94403.html - #2022–03–07 Valley Educators Prepare Students For Cybersecurity Workforce https://businessjournaldaily.com/educators-prepare-students-for-cybersecurity-workforce/

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