Cyberatacks K-12 threaten the data and students

Key points:

The long-term impacts of K-12 cyber attacks, including lost learning time and interruptions in school operations, are as harmful as stolen data, according to a new report from the Internet Security Center, Inc. (CIS).

He 2025 CIS MS-ISAC K-12 Cybersecurity ReportRun at the SXSW EDU conference, it details the growing sophistication, frequency and impact of cyber attacks against K-12 schools.

This is the third annual report of the CEI dedicated to K-12 cyber security, and the second year CIS has been associated with the Consortium for School Networks (COSN), to direct attention and resources to this critical issue.

Key findings

• The eighty-two percent of the K-12 organizations reports experienced cyber threat impacts
• Almost 14,000 security events were observed, with 9,300 confirmed incidents
• Cybercriminals are directed to human behavior at least 45 percent more than technical vulnerabilities
• The attacks increase during high -risk periods such as exams, interrupting education and forcing difficult decisions

Impact on communities

“The long -term impacts of the stolen data of students and teachers are only part of the story,” said Randy Rose, vice president of security and intelligence operations in CIS. “Schools are a vital part of our local communities and cyber attacks against these institutions can have real world consequences that include lost days, canceled exams, wasted foods and interruptions for child care, among other things.”

Building cyber resilience:

CIS emphasizes the importance of a collaborative approach to cybersecurity. Early commitment to the Multi-State Information Analysis and Information Center (MS-ISAC) improves the results, and schools that take advantage of cyber security resources of NO and low cost of the MS-ISAC significantly increase cybersecurity capabilities to a fraction of the cost. MS-ISAC services blocked more than one billion attempts to connect to malware domains, and more than 320 million attempts to connect to Phishing domains.

Recommendations

To protect better against cyber attacks:

• Create a culture of shared responsibility
• Establish direct lines of communication between IT teams and educators
• Implement intelligent technical controls that admit learning without hindering it
• Strengthen associations, since collaboration amplifies the impact

Takeeways final

Cybersecurity in education is not just about protecting the data, it is about protecting students and families, as well as the services they trust every day. Through strategies and proactive cybersecurity collaboration, K-12 schools can greatly improve their cyber defenses against a generalized and evolving cybernetics threat.

This press release Originally appeared online.

Laura Ascione is the editorial director of Eschool Media. He graduated from the prestigious Faculty of Journalism of Philip Merrill of the University of Maryland.

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