School Districts Increasingly Under Cyberattack: Hackers Target Vulnerable Systems, Causing Major Disruptions

Schools are frequent targets for hackers because they have vulnerable IT systems, collect sensitive data, and feel pressure to resolve issues quickly. Attacks are increasing, with over 100 school districts hit in 2022.

Cyberattacks can involve ransomware, Zoombombing, phishing, and other methods. They can cost millions in recovery efforts and lost productivity. Many districts don't have resources or expertise to prevent attacks.

Attacks can severely disrupt district operations, including canceling school, locking staff out of systems, and rerouting paychecks. Recovery can take months behind the scenes.

Districts are often reluctant to report attacks due to embarrassment, lack of requirements, or confidentiality around investigations. This makes it hard to grasp the full scale of the problem.

Preventative measures like strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, training staff, and keeping software updated are crucial but not failproof. More federal regulations and support are needed to stem the rising tide.