Did you know education has the highest rate of ransomware attacks across all industries? The rate of attack is nearly three times higher than healthcare and nearly ten times that of finance! Why is that? Aren’t banks supposed to be the favored target for robberies?
Unfortunately, education entities are often viewed as a soft target for cybersecurity. They often lack the budget needs for proper staffing and updated systems. They are also well insured and can pay a ransom. Education is also collaborative, which requires trusting people and sharing content electronically.
A ransomware attack is when cyber criminals compromise a computer system and encrypt the data so that it’s not usable. The criminals then hold the encrypted data hostage until it’s victim pays the ransom fee, which can be as high as millions of dollars!
Email is one common route of the many ways to infect a system with malware. Cyber criminals often use social engineering techniques, including phishing, to persuade users to provide sensitive information, click on malicious links, download files and install malware masked as apps. In many cases, exploiting one computer user in an organization can compromise a whole system.
The best ways to fend off these types of attacks are through awareness and incorporating a few simple procedures. Employees need to exercise caution and remain alert when checking emails. Always be wary of links provided, scrutinize web addresses before entering personal information, and be very cautious about opening attachments. When in doubt, reach out to the email sender via a different method of communication to confirm the legitimacy of the request.
REMC1 takes cybersecurity very seriously and has implemented many tools, policies and safeguards to protect our computer systems and users from attack. Despite all the precautions taken, there is always a risk. This risk also becomes greater when more employees and students work and learn remotely. We need everyone's help to ensure our computer systems and users stay safe.
If you need help verifying the legitimacy of an email, installing or downloading files, or if you think your email account or computer has been compromised, we are only a call or message away. Working together is the best way to ensure our schools stay safe from ransomware and other cyber threats.
Learn more about cyber security at the MAISA MI Connect Cybersecurity Project: https://mi-connect.org/cybersecurity-project/
