How can Schools Combat Ransomware Attacks?

In the past year, ransomware has risen to new heights, with education being one of the worst hit sectors. Sophos found that 44% of schools experienced a ransomware attack in the past 12 months, with an average ransom payment of over $110,000. Schools and colleges are already facing increasing pressure with COVID-19 and Omicron related absences of staff and students alongside ever-decreasing budgets and the move to remote learning, leaving plenty of opportunities for cybercriminals to attack.

Just last year we saw attacks on UK education providers with The University of Sunderland badly hit by a “major cyberattack”. In their research, Sophos found that the education sector was experiencing some of the highest levels of ransomware attacks globally, more than industries such as business, government and healthcare. It’s now become a case of when not if organisations will be targeted by ransomware.

Why are education providers being targeted by hackers?

Schools are an attractive target for ransomware attackers because they often lack the IT infrastructures of other organisations, especially during COVID times. Many education providers are hamstrung by tight budgets and possess outdated IT systems that don’t have the tools and resources needed to fight against ransomware groups. Understaffed IT teams have had limited time to spend on security training and threat monitoring, instead pooling their resources into ensuring remote learning for staff and students ran smoothly.

Furthermore, schools’ IT hygiene may be compromised by students and staff engaging in behaviour that could compromise security protocols, increasing the potential of a breach or an attack by an on-the-ball group. Education for students on smarter IT usage is a must for schools to ensure their safety and defences don’t become compromised.

What can be done to protect defences from ransomware?

Put simply, the most effective way for any organisation to protect against ransomware is to have a modern IT infrastructure with the latest security technology and expert IT teams with the required skills to combat new threats. This may take time to build, especially with the issues previously mentioned in this blog, so below are a couple of key steps to bolster defences:

– Adopt the “3-2-1” method for data backups, with 3 different copies of your data, at least 2 different backup systems and at least 1 copy offline and off-site. The easiest way to prevent paying a ransom is restoring your valuable data through an effective backup system.

– Use multiple layers of protection to help stop hackers from accessing your data in the first place. A good place to start is regular Penetration Testing.

– Outsourcing parts of your IT security to cybersecurity experts such as eacs is an easy and cost-effective way of possessing all of the required know-how and skills to combat a sophisticated ransomware attack.

Another crucial method against ransomware is having in place an effective incident response plan that should minimise the impact of any breach. Read about how to implement a cybersecurity recovery plan and the 10 main steps to take with our joint guide with Sophos here. Contact us 0800 8047 256 for more information about eacs and our cybersecurity services.