cybersecurity in education
Keeping it safe
With schools becoming increasingly connected and using devices in learning, it means they are vulnerable to cyberattacks and must ensure that they are completely secure, and resellers have a vital role in this.
Cybercrime is a threat to everyone today and educational establishments are as much targets as anyone else and need to invest in security as a result.
“Educational institutions are often targeted for two main reasons,” says Spencer Starkey, vice president EMEA at Sonicwall. “The first is they have access to a great number of people’s data from students to staff and the second is that they have a very large attack surface. “There are many tactics that cybercriminals use to gain unlawful access to institutions within the education sector. One major concern is the rise in data breaches, whereby cybercriminals gain unauthorised access to sensitive information, leading to personal data exposure, financial fraud, identity theft and reputational damage. Ransomware attacks also pose a significant risk, entering the system and encrypting an institution’s data locking the users out until a ransom is paid. Such attacks can heavily disrupt operations, impacting teaching and learning for a significant period, particularly where more people learn online.
“Additionally, phishing and social engineering techniques are commonly used to trick staff and students into revealing sensitive information, resulting in unauthorised access to systems, data breaches and financial losses.
Spencer Starkey vice president EMEA Sonicwall
“The impact of cybercrime on educational institutions can be severe, therefore it is essential to prioritise cybersecurity
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