Officials Sound Nationwide Alarm Over Cyber Attacks Against Schools,
Just days after hacker’s cyber attacks infiltrated one of the country’s largest school districts, federal officials are issuing a warning about an emerging cyber security threat that is targeting schools with crippling ransomware attacks.
The identity of a child in Toledo, Ohio, is being used to apply for credit months after cyber attacks on schools there. A midsize Texas school district last year paid more than half a million dollars in ransom to restore access to its system and prevent the posting of sensitive data online.
The repercussions of cyber attacks on vulnerable school systems can be strong, long-lasting and expensive, which is why cybersecurity experts warn against expecting a quick and clean resolution.
Uncertainties over the stolen data will persist well into the future for those whose personal information was published on the dark web. Education institutions have been increasingly targeted in recent years, in part because they have multiple public-facing portals and third-party applications accessible to students, parents and the community. And cybersecurity prevention has to compete with other pressing needs.
Experts warn there is no reason to trust cybercriminals over how much data they said they stole. Also, the data could be exploited far into the future.