Today's Modern Educator
  • About
  • K-12
  • Higher Education
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Digital Transformation
  • Cybersecurity
  • Online Learning
  • Resources
    • COVID-19
Today's Modern Educator
  • Digital Transformation
  • Cybersecurity
  • Online Learning
  • Resources
    • COVID-19
No Result
View All Result
Today's Modern Educator
No Result
View All Result
Home Cybersecurity

Stop Ransomware at the Source with Proactive Solutions

by Jackie Davis
June 9, 2020
in Cybersecurity, Higher Education
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Stop Ransomware at the Source with Proactive Solutions
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Cyberattacks, specifically ransomware attacks, continue to be a constant threat to government agencies and educational institutions (SLED). In the last year, more than 100 state and local governments and educational institutions across the U.S. were victims of ransomware attacks. Despite investing heavily in traditional endpoint security solutions, institutions are vulnerable to ransomware and other cyberattacks. With a growing attack surface due to remote work and learning, agencies and educational organizations must look to proactive cyber solutions.

According to the 2020 Blackberry Cylance Threat Report, government agencies and educational institutions were one of the top ransomware targets. These attacks exploited data that educational institutions and agencies are responsible for keeping secure such as social security numbers and payment information. “Government and education in today’s market are prime targets for bad guys doing bad things in the cybersecurity realm,” said Marc Doniger, VP of SLED with Blackberry Cylance in a recent webinar. “The devices and interconnected systems, the way we deliver things in the government and education space, we are seeing an uptick in ransom.”

Watch the Webinar

With limited IT resources, SLED staff are struggling to keep up with security issues. Staff now have anywhere from 10 to 18 different job responsibilities, explained Doniger. Schools and agencies are being asked to do less with more. So, the question becomes “where do I make an investment? Where do I make cuts?” he said.

For many these decisions, especially with such limited budgets, are tough to make. Without constant updates, or even replacing older technologies, data is more likely to be stolen. “For every hour an employee is down and unable to complete work due to a security issue, the county or school system is spending around $40,” he explained. This might not seem like much, but why you factor in multiple employees and multiple hours to regain full working ability, that cost adds up. “In the last year, over 500 schools have been hit by ransomware. The average cost was about $8.1 million,” Doniger said. And money isn’t the only setback, it takes about nine months to get back to full operating capacity, he explained.

With all these risks and obstacles, what can agencies and schools do? “It’s not an easy task to prevent these types of attacks,” said Rich Thompson, VP of Sales Engineering at Blackberry Cylance. With these attacks being dropped via email or document, they can be undetectable by standard security technology.

This traditional tech relies on patches to keep current. “Patches are great,” said Thompson. “But there are systems out there that don’t need patches. There are solutions that can detect ransomware before it launches against your environment.”

Detecting a potential ransomware attack before it infiltrates systems is critical. Not only will information, time, and money be saved, but the trust the public has for an organization. “Frictionless solutions that give you the protection you need” are what every agency and school should be looking for. Solutions should “give peace of mind and allow the users to do what they were hired to do, rather than be worried about security,” Thompson concluded.

Tags: 2020 Blackberry Cylance Threat Reportcyberattackscybersecurityransomware

RELATED POSTS

Contributed Articles

Ransomware Gangs Are Targeting Educators – How Can They Defend Themselves?

October 14, 2022
Closing the Cybersecurity Skills Gap at Colleges and Universities
Cybersecurity

Closing the Cybersecurity Skills Gap at Colleges and Universities

September 22, 2022
Representing the shifting landscape of cybersecurity in education, there's a cloud with a key in the middle. Several wires are coming out of it going all different directions
Cybersecurity

Challenges with the Shifting Landscape of Cybersecurity in Education

July 28, 2022

TRENDING NOW

  • Handwriting Improves Academic Performance

    Handwriting Improves Academic Performance; Success Requires Balance of Keyboarding and Handwriting

    1650 shares
    Share 660 Tweet 413
  • Important Safety Tips for Using Online Videos in the Classroom

    508 shares
    Share 203 Tweet 127
  • Inequalities in Technology Addressed Through Digital Inclusion

    505 shares
    Share 202 Tweet 126
  • What Happened to Handwriting Education? In 45 States it is not Required.

    1016 shares
    Share 406 Tweet 254
  • EDUCAUSE 2022: Preparing Higher Ed Institutions for Tomorrow’s IT Issues

    504 shares
    Share 202 Tweet 126
Advertisement Banner Advertisement Banner Advertisement Banner
Advertisement Banner Advertisement Banner Advertisement Banner
Advertisement Banner Ad Advertisement Banner Ad Advertisement Banner Ad
Advertisement Banner Ad Advertisement Banner Ad Advertisement Banner Ad

CONNECT WITH US

BECOME AN INSIDER

Get Today's Modern Educator news and updates in your inbox.

Strategic Communications Group is a digital media company that helps business-to-business marketers drive customer demand through content marketing, content syndication, and lead identification.

Related Communities

Financial Technology Today
Future Healthcare Today
Government Technology Insider
Modern Marketing Today
Retail Technology Insider

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us

Become a Sponsor

Today's Modern Educator offers content and advertising sponsorships to leading technology solution and service providers. Interested in becoming a sponsor? Contact us!

© 2023 Strategic Communications Group, Inc.
Privacy Policy      |      Terms of Service

 

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
  • K-12
  • Higher Education
  • Categories
    • Digital Transformation
    • Cybersecurity
    • Online Learning
  • Contact Us