Security News > 2021 > November > US Education Dept urged to boost K-12 schools' ransomware defenses
The US Department of Education and Department of Homeland Security were urged this week to more aggressively strengthen cybersecurity protections at K-12 schools across the nation to keep up with a massive wave of attacks.
For context on the impact of ransomware on US education institutions throughout 2021, ransomware attacks have disrupted education at roughly 1,000 universities, colleges, and schools since the start of the year, according to Emsisoft threat analyst Brett Callow.
It's more than evident that K-12 education needs additional support, as shown by the growing number of successful cybersecurity breaches affecting K-12 schools.
"We strongly agree with the GAO recommendations for the Department of Education, working with DHS's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, to update the Education Facilities subsector-specific plan and determine if subsector-specific guidance is needed, and we are glad to see that the Department of Education concurred with the recommendation," the Senators added.
"An updated subsector-specific plan will help the Department of Education and DHS effectively prioritize the risks, cyber and otherwise, to the Education Facilities subsector, while subsector-specific guidance would help K-12 schools better use existing cybersecurity frameworks and implement best practices."
The two agencies were also urged to establish a coordination council for education facilities to encourage better coordination between federal, state, local entities, and private sector groups that support K-12 schools.