As K12 schools continue to face cyber threats in unprecedented numbers, high-ranking security officials across different sectors, including education, say they’re worried, too. Specifically, they cite four primary tactics used by cybercriminals that leaders should be on the lookout for.
Proofpoint, an American enterprise security company, released its findings from its latest edition of the “Voice of the CISO” report, a survey of 1,600 chief information security officers. Included in the report is an insight into what is believed to be some of the most prominent cybersecurity threats they face every day and what leaders expect to see over the next year.
The findings come at a time when ransomware attacks continue targeting school systems, sometimes resulting in breaches of thousands of files containing sensitive personal information belonging to students and staff.
According to the report, 68% of surveyed education CISOs said they feel at risk of facing a material cyberattack within the next 12 months. Additionally, 61% said they feel “unprepared to cope.”
In addition, 52% of CISOs in the education sector say their organization “is likely” to pay ransom to prevent and restore lost data. However, more than 60% say they’re confident that their organization can detect and remove threat actors before losing any sensitive information.
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How CISOs perceive threats
Across all sectors, these are the most dangerous threats cybersecurity and IT leaders must look out for:
- Email fraud (33%)
- Insider threats (30%)
- Cloud account compromise (29%)
- DDoS attacks (29%)
“Security leaders must remain steadfast in protecting their people and data, a task made increasingly difficult as insiders prove themselves as a significant contributor to sensitive data loss,” Executive Vice President of Cybersecurity Strategy for Proofpoint Ryan Kalember said in a statement.
