Educational Cyberdefences Strengthen Even As Threats Escalate - Arabian Post

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A surge in cyberattacks targeting U. S. schools and colleges is being met with increasing resistance, but experts warn that serious vulnerabilities remain.
Data from multiple cybersecurity firms and institutions show that ransomware incidents rose by 23% year-on-year for the first half of 2025 among educational organisations-around 130 confirmed or probable attacks-at an average ransom demand of approximately US$556,000.

Check Point Research finds that from January to July this year, education institutions globally faced an average of 4,356 attacks per organisation per week, marking a 41% increase compared to 2024. North America saw the steepest regional jump at 67%.

Sophos' global survey of 441 IT and cybersecurity leaders across primary, secondary and higher education shows that 97% of victims of data encryption in ransomware attacks managed to recover data, and ransom payments have dropped sharply. Average payments in lower education fell from around US$6 million to US$800,000, and in higher education from US$4 million to US$463,000. 

Still, many institutions report they lack adequate protection and personnel. Over 60% indicate gaps in protection tools or staffing; more than two-thirds admit to security weaknesses.

K-12 schools are especially under strain. According to the CIS MS-ISAC report covering July 2023 through December 2024, 82% of reporting K-12 schools were impacted by cyberthreats, with around 14,000 security events and 9,300 confirmed incidents.

Legislative action is underway in multiple states to bolster cybersecurity for schools. Measures include requirements for school districts to submit cybersecurity plans, rules governing ransom payments, mandatory reporting of attacks within short timeframes, and provisions for cybersecurity training and vendor standards. Yet, federal support structures are seen by many in the education sector as having weakened, prompting greater reliance on state and local efforts.

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