THE MOST COMMON FORMS OF CYBERATTACKS
Malware is malicious software that is placed on computers or a network and enables the cybercriminal to take control of the computer to monitor the user’s keystrokes and actions and access confiden- tial data. The malware gets into a computer when the user clicks on a link or opens an attachment.
SQL (structured query language) injection attacks target servers that store proprietary/critical data and use SQL to manage their databases. An SQL injec- tion attack uses malicious code to target the server and cause it to convey privileged information.
Ransomware attacks by hackers deploy malicious software to encrypt a school district’s data and demand a ransom in return for the dis- trict’s regaining access to its data.
Phishing attacks occur when a cybercriminal sends emails, presumably from a legitimate organization (often one with which the individual or orga- nization has a relationship), requesting personal data (e.g., financial account infor- mation, passwords, etc.)
Denial-of-service attacks temporarily shut down a machine or network and render it inaccessible to its intended users.
In addition, the report presented the programs and services the entities developed to help K–12 schools incorporate cybersecurity measures. It is important to know, however, that the report states that the OSSS has not kept the education subsector’s cybersecurity plan up-to-date, admitting that it was last published in 2010, although it was required to update the plan every three years. As a result, the plan no longer reflects the current cyber environment.
Key Initiatives
What is clear from the report and the increasing cyber- attacks on the education sector is that schools must be proactive in their own organization’s cybersecurity. That requires several key initiatives:
Detection. Every school should begin by benchmark- ing its current cybersecurity status. To ensure its integ- rity, benchmarking should be performed by a third-party cybersecurity firm and not the school’s internal IT department or its managed services provider. Detection involves two components: (1) a comprehen- sive vulnerability assessment to evaluate the school’s IT
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systems and assess risk levels and (2) penetration testing, also known as “ethical hacking,” to determine how eas- ily cybercriminals could enter the school’s IT systems, including the network, ports, database, emails.
Mitigation. Following the vulnerability assessment and penetration testing, measures should be taken to mitigate system weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Such measures range from installing firewalls, encryption software, and end-point protection to multifactor authentication, pass- word and SSH (secure shell protocol) key management, and solutions to lock access to proprietary data.
Best practices. Best practices include data backups and backup data recovery, along with keeping up with software updates and limiting access to sensitive data to authorized staff members.
Cybersecurity policies. Policies—including best prac- tices, responses to cyberattacks, and related communica- tions—should be formalized in a cybersecurity policy manual and provided to all vendors and staff members who manage, use, or have access to school information systems and technology.
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