Schools could become the next big target for ransomware gangs as these criminals continue to target companies and organizations likely to pay a ransom.
While the advent of the coronavirus forced most schools to switch to virtual learning, it was undoubtedly rushed and as Brian Bartholomew, a principal security researcher at Kaspersky put it, the system contained a “wide array” of security vulnerabilities that “provided the criminals more possibilities to gain the required access in.”
According to Bartholomew, “Cybercriminals are focusing on targets that they feel will provide the most probability of getting paid. They want to maximize the payout while minimizing the effort. Schools tend to fall into this category simply because they are under-resourced with regards to security, but also highly motivated to minimize the impact of an attack simply by paying.”
As a result, schools are advised to ensure that IT administrators regularly back up data and introduce two-factor authentication while installing new software updates as quickly as possible.
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