Education institutions from K-12 schools to universities are experiencing a surge in cyberattacks due to the vast amounts of sensitive data they hold, making it the third most targeted sector. Hackers target these institutions for financial data, health records, and other confidential information, with an average of 2,507 attempted attacks weekly. The education sector confronts challenges like limited security staffing, remote learning environments, open email systems, and young users with insufficient cybersecurity knowledge
Microsoft advises implementing a robust security curriculum focusing on cyber hygiene, enhancing cyber awareness among students, IT staff, and faculty, fortifying security posture, and centralizing technology stack. Notable cases of successful cybersecurity measures include Oregon State University and the Arizona Department of Education responding to incidents by emphasizing cyber posture with AI and zero-trust principles respectively. ```https://www.darkreading.com/cybersecurity-operations/microsoft-k-12-universities-grapple-with-thousands-attacks-weekly