Are the students (almost) ready to go back to school, but are they ready to pay attention to cybersecurity? Check Point Software Technologies reports thousands of weekly attacks on school organizations, even during the less intense summer months. Will they be able to keep cybercriminals at bay?
Back to school and cybersecurity, because more attention is needed
Between online courses and enrollment in exams and labs, students spend more hours online during Back to School and cybercriminals are ready to take advantage. According to Check Point Research reports, the sEducation / Research sector suffered the highest volume of monthly attacksfirst in 2021 and then in 2022.
In July, almost 2,000 attacks per week they hit schools and universities at twice the average rate and a 6% increase over last year. And 114% compared to two years ago.
In Italy, the value is even higher: it touches nearly 3,000 attacks per week.
This is because the pandemic has changed the world of education a lot. All it takes is a teacher, student or parent to click on one email di phishing to increase the risk of ransomware attacks, including worrying ones.
Pierluigi Torriani, Security Engineering Manager at Check Point Software, explains: “Unfortunately, many students are still unaware that they can be targeted by cybercriminals, much less do they know how to protect themselves. For most cyberattacks, human error plays a significant role and students need to be wary of all e-mails and websites that can be strange. Also, it’s important to make sure that wherever you study, you have a secure connection and appropriate security software. Not only on the laptop, but also on the smartphone and tablet, without ever ignoring the updates required by the software. “
Advice for students
Check Point Software therefore advises students to:
- Think twice before clicking on URL, not only via email but also via SMS and WhatsApp. Go to the sender’s official website instead: in this way you will avoid falling into the traps of hackers
- Used password diverse for each account, perhaps using a password manager to remember them
- Do not download attachments from unknown addresses. May.
- Don’t browse unencrypted websites – trust only those that start with https. If the “s” is missing, it’s not for you.
These are the basic security measures that we should all adhere to. If you are looking for other resources, you can find them on the Check Point website.