As K–12 schools increasingly rely on technology to drive their daily operations, a robust cybersecurity risk management framework is more important than ever. From distance learning and interactive classrooms to online assignment dashboards, educational spaces are moving online, introducing a myriad of challenges. Cybersecurity risk management is crucial to schools’ ability to operate effectively — regardless of whether the school is public, nonpublic, private, or independent.
Why cybercriminals target schools
While most K–12 institutions prioritize physical security measures, cybersecurity for schools frequently lags behind. Schools with insufficient IT resources and cybersecurity capacity are vulnerable to ransomware attacks and other types of attempted cybercrime — and threat actors know this.
Although educational institutions have the capacity to move fast to create multitudes of accounts for new students, parent volunteers, and other stakeholders, they rarely have the same speed and agility when it comes to navigating cyberattacks. Schools are, on average, significantly slower to recover than organizations in other industries: 40% took a week, 26% took more than a month, 21% took one to three months, and 5% rebounded in three to six months.
Many schools lack proper cybersecurity protection plans, infrastructure, and training, and because of this, they are often easier to exploit in ransomware attacks. Ransomware severely impacts operations and causes monetary losses due to the downtime and resources needed to recover from incidents.
What are the consequences of cyberattacks on schools?
When schools fall prey to cyberattacks, negative media coverage and diminished public trust often follow. Schools that can’t adequately safeguard their operations could risk losing state funding and compromising longer-term charter renewals or reauthorizations.
Several states have specific laws designed to protect personally identifiable information and other sensitive data. Exposure of personally identifiable information may subject students, parents, administrators, faculty, and staff to an increased risk of identity theft, and faculty, staff, and job candidates could be vulnerable to extortion threats from leaks of sensitive background-check data.
Schools can also incur significant financial costs stemming from regulatory investigations, as well as fines and class-action litigation settlements or judgments. The resources required to help recover from an incident could also divert from resources intended for faculty pay raises and general services.
How can schools reduce cybersecurity risks?
New digital threats arise every day, but schools can plan to stay one step ahead by taking a proactive approach to protecting sensitive data. A well-defined cybersecurity strategy includes both prevention planning and a cybersecurity incident response plan.
Prevention planning
A well-crafted prevention plan is the first line of defense against a multitude of cybersecurity risks. Executing preventive measures can drastically reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access to information, data loss, and operational disruptions.
Prevention plans commonly include action items such as:
- Identifying and categorizing sensitive information
- Monitoring for potential cyber risks and vulnerabilities
- Preparing or revising legally compliant, proactive mitigation programs, incident response plans, school security and technology policies, and data breach policies
- Developing awareness and training programs for schools and employees (as required by most state laws)
Incident Response
Educational institutions also need a cybersecurity incident response plan that outlines how to rapidly identify and contain threats to operational continuity, satisfy legal obligations, and safeguard their reputations.
Incident response plans often involve:
- Managing incident response, including engaging forensic investigators
- Assessing whether sensitive data has been compromised and, if required or recommended, guiding the associated notification process
- Engaging with local, state, federal, and international law enforcement on cybersecurity matters
- Notifying all stakeholders, including students, parents, faculty, and others whose data may have been compromised, and coordinating post-incident support to those affected
Be prepared
Adopting a proactive approach can help educational institutions safeguard their data and protected information, and minimize the impact on your operations if an attack occurs. Nixon Peabody’s Cybersecurity & Privacy and Private, Independent, and Charter School teams help schools protect their employees, students, operations, and information by navigating regulatory, preparedness, incident response, disclosure, investigation, and litigation needs.
For more information on the content of this alert, please contact your Nixon Peabody attorney