The exact cost can vary depending on the type of attack, the severity of the breach and the size of the institution affected.” Prioritising cybersecurity Nicolaas Liebenberg, operations manager at Sisonke Solutions (ESET partner in the education sector), says: “Cyberattacks in the education sector can be costly both in financial and reputational terms. While the cost of cybersecurity measures seems prohibitive to schools and universities operating on tight, often nonexistent budgets, it is important to point out that the cost of doing nothing is always regrettably higher. Lack of cybersecurity awareness: Students, faculty and staff may not be aware of the cybersecurity risks and how to protect against them, making them more susceptible.Student privacy: Handling a significant amount of student data, including personally identifiable information and academic records, makes educational institutions a prime target.Human error: The education sector relies on human interaction, which makes it particularly vulnerable to social engineering attacks like phishing scams.Diverse IT infrastructure: Including legacy systems and a wide variety of devices used by students, faculty and staff, which makes it challenging to secure the network.Limited budgets: Limited budgets and resources make it difficult to implement robust cybersecurity measures.The education sector faces numerous cybersecurity challenges, including: This highlights the need for improved cybersecurity measures in the education sector to protect sensitive data and ensure the safety of students and staff, as well as the integrity of the institution’s digital assets and reputation. įrom the University of Mpumalanga experiencing an attack on its bank accounts, to the University of Johannesburg accidentally leaking a student’s personal information to their e-mail database, and Harvard University having to dismiss all hybrid classes after a ransomware attack compromised its network, breaches and cyberattacks can affect schools and universities irrespective of size or prestige. However, increasing cybersecurity awareness and allocating resources effectively can help the education sector become less attractive targets for cybercrime,” says Steve Flynn, sales and marketing director at ESET Southern Africa. “Unfortunately, cybercriminals don’t consider the ramifications of cyberattacks on schools.
As organisations across the world contend with an increasing number of cyberattacks, schools and higher learning institutions are looking for innovative and cost-effective ways to protect their students, staff and data from breaches and ransomware.
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