The education sector will always be a prime target to hackers. Mainly because the attack surface is so large. The sheer size of the industry, and with it the potential of great financial gain, data theft and espionage, make it a prime target for cyber criminals. And anyone, from students to employees, faculty members and third-party providers are a prospective target.
The larger the attack surface, the more likely the investment of time and resources into an attack will be fruitful. In the UK alone, there are over 2.3 million students in education, and just under half a million staff in higher education. With such a large attack surface, realistically there has to be a weak link somewhere.
Once collected and pilfered, this information can be sold and used to exploit individuals or whole schools at a time. If sensitive data is acquired, it can also be used as a bargaining tool within a ransomware attack.
