Protecting Your Students and Devices During Winter Break
Protecting Your Students and Devices during Winter Break Over the past decade, but especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, technology in...
2 min read
Chris Joffe
:
April 5, 2022
In recent years, cyberattacks have been getting both more frequent and more sophisticated. From Aug. 14 to Sept. 12, 2021, educational organizations were the target of over 5.8 million malware attacks. In January, hackers successfully pulled off the largest cyberattack on a single school district in U.S. history when they targeted a New York City public school district vendor, impacting more than 800,000 current and former students in the district.
If you haven’t already started making a cybersecurity plan for your school, now is the time to start. If you already have a plan in place, consider updating it to ensure it takes into consideration current threats and vulnerabilities. Whatever stage you’re in, here are some steps you can in the short and longer term to ensure your school is protected:
Many insurance policies include act of war exclusions. According to the California Resiliency Alliance (CRA), with the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, there is the potential that Russian cyberattacks may be considered an act of war and not covered under insurance policies. Here are some questions CRA recommends asking your insurance provider:
Keep your operating systems and security software up to date to avoid any potential breaches due to outdated programs.
Be sure to employ strong passwords and password best practices, and encourage employees to do the same. For any employees with school-sponsored devices, use a Mobile Device Management system. Finally, create systems to ensure the IT team is notified quickly when a device goes missing or is compromised.
Conduct a cybersecurity audit to highlight gaps or vulnerabilities in your system. Run exercises and drill your emergency plans so you are prepared to respond quickly to minimize the impact of any attack.
Add Cybersecurity PD into the scope and sequence of the year so it does not end up as an afterthought. Schedule phishing tests and other vulnerability tests for your staff and students (Our team is available to provide support with this if needed.)
Cybersecurity threats are likely to continue to advance in the coming years. Implementing some of these best practices now can go a long way toward making sure your data, information and systems stay safe and secure.
Protecting Your Students and Devices during Winter Break Over the past decade, but especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, technology in...
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