Meet the Hired Guns Who Make Sure School Cyberattacks Stay Hidden
2 min read
Summary
Cyber attacks on US schools have been widespread since coronavirus lockdowns five years ago, an investigation by The 74 has found, but district leaders across the country have hidden the truth from victims, using a pervasive pattern of obfuscation.
MORE THAN 300 school cyberattacks over the past five years have been analysed in an in-depth investigation that reveals how school leaders in both urban and rural areas have repeatedly provided false assurances to students, parents, and staff about the security of their sensitive information.
In more than two dozen cases, educators were forced to publicly acknowledge data breaches months, and in some cases more than a year, after telling their communities that sensitive data had not been exposed.
Law firms that specialize in data breaches often arrive first on the scene and serve as intermediaries between schools and victims, which prevents victims from learning the full extent of the attacks and the risks they face.
The lack of transparency leaves students, families, and district employees clueless about their exposure to identity theft and other risks and deprives them of the opportunity to more aggressively protect themselves.
classes and extracurricular activities were canceled for several days because of the breadth of the breach.