Cybercriminals are targeting educational institutions. Most schools and colleges have small IT teams and restricted budgets for IT. Not ideal conditions to deliver strong cybersecurity defenses. This is not to denigrate the excellent work and the dedication of IT administrators working in education. No, it's an acknowledgment that they are overstretched and don't have the resources to focus 24x7 on cybersecurity. Unfortunately, a 24x7 focus on the current threat landscape is required. The last few years and the forced switch to remote learning have only exacerbated the issues already faced by educational establishments.
Schools and colleges hold a lot of personal data on pupils, students, and staff. This makes them a tempting target for cybercriminals looking to get data to sell in places like the Dark Web. Additionally, universities and other higher education establishments have valuable intellectual property and research data that would be valuable to foreign state-backed cyber attackers looking to boost competing industries in their countries.
Building and retaining an internal cybersecurity team in schools, across school districts, or even in some universities might not be the best use of available resources. A better approach would be to partner with an external specialized cybersecurity managed service provider who has the relevant skilled professionals to assess, advise, and deliver comprehensive cybersecurity defense infrastructure and ongoing planning as threats change.