Education sector recorded a 44% increase in cyberattacks since last year

The education sector experienced a 44% surge in cyberattacks compared to the previous year. The attacks are driven by the abundance of personal data available, with schools and colleges being key targets. The sector is the most affected in 2022, and institutions need to anticipate a rise in attacks due to the broad network including students, making it more vulnerable.

According to Check Point’s 2022 Mid-Year Report, the education sector saw a 44% increase in cyberattacks from 2021 to 2022, with an average of 2297 attacks against organisations every week.

The research illustrates that a reason behind such attacks is the enormous amount of personal information that threat actors can amass by picking on businesses in this industry.

According to the monthly threat index produced by the research team, the education sector is the most impacted one in 2022, a Check Point representative indicated. As cybercriminals are finding success with these operations, schools and colleges should be planning for a rise in the frequency of these attacks.

In contrast to most businesses which only have employees, academic institutions also have students. This makes the sector’s networks much larger, more accessible, and harder to secure.