In August 2025, the **education sector in India**—highlighted by Check Point Research—faced an average of **4,178 cyberattacks per organization weekly**, marking a **13% year-on-year increase**. The sector’s rapid digitization, coupled with chronic underfunding in cybersecurity, expanded its attack surface, making it a prime target for threat actors. While the report did not specify the exact nature of each attack, the scale and frequency suggest **data breaches, ransomware, or disruptive cyberattacks** aimed at exploiting vulnerable systems. Given the sector’s role in handling **student records, financial aid data, and research intellectual property**, compromises could lead to **financial fraud, reputational damage, or operational disruptions** (e.g., halting online classes or exam systems).The attacks align with broader trends where **education globally remains the most targeted sector**, with India’s volume surpassing the worldwide average (1,994 attacks/week). Though no specific incident was detailed, the pattern implies **high-severity threats**, potentially involving **phishing, malware, or ransomware campaigns** designed to extract sensitive data or cripple institutional infrastructure. The lack of robust defenses exacerbates risks, increasing the likelihood of **prolonged outages, data leaks, or financial losses**—directly impacting students, faculty, and administrative operations.
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/check-point-software-technologies
"id": "che0532105091725",
"linkid": "check-point-software-technologies",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "8/2025",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Education',
'location': 'India',
'name': 'Education Sector (India)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'Government',
'location': 'India',
'name': 'Government Sector (India)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'Consumer Goods/Services',
'location': 'India',
'name': 'Consumer Goods and Services (India)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'Construction/Engineering',
'location': 'India',
'name': 'Construction and Engineering (India)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'Telecommunications',
'location': 'India',
'name': 'Telecommunications (India)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'IT',
'location': 'India',
'name': 'Information Technology (India)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'Energy/Utilities',
'location': 'India',
'name': 'Energy and Utilities (India)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'Financial Services',
'location': 'India',
'name': 'Financial Services (India)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'Biotech/Pharmaceuticals',
'location': 'India',
'name': 'Biotech and Pharma (India)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'Education',
'location': 'Global',
'name': 'Education Sector (Global)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'Telecommunications',
'location': 'Global',
'name': 'Telecommunications (Global)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'Government',
'location': 'Global',
'name': 'Government (Global)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'},
{'industry': 'Healthcare',
'location': 'Global',
'name': 'Healthcare and Medical Services (Global)',
'type': 'Industry Sector'}],
'date_detected': '2025-08-01',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-08-31',
'description': 'Organisations in India witnessed an average of 3,237 '
'cyberattacks per week in August 2025, with the education '
'sector being the top target, followed by government and '
'consumer goods and services. The education sector globally '
'experienced 4,178 weekly attacks per organisation, marking a '
'13% year-on-year increase. The digitisation of education and '
'underfunded cybersecurity defenses contributed to its '
'vulnerability. Other heavily targeted sectors in India '
'included construction and engineering, telecommunications, '
'IT, energy and utilities, financial services, and '
'biotech/pharma. Globally, education, telecommunications, '
'government, and healthcare were the most affected. Africa '
'reported the highest attack volume (3,239 weekly), followed '
'by India (3,237), Asia-Pacific (2,877), and Latin America '
'(2,865). Europe and North America saw YoY increases of 13% '
'and 20%, respectively, with ransomware driving the surge in '
'the US (54% of global cases).',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Moderate to High (sectoral trust '
'erosion, especially in education)',
'operational_impact': 'High (sector-wide disruptions, especially '
'in education and government)'},
'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': ['Education Sector',
'Government Entities']},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (sector-wide analysis by Check Point '
'Research)',
'lessons_learned': "The education sector's rapid digitisation and underfunded "
'cybersecurity defenses have made it a prime target for '
'cyberattacks. Organizations must prioritize cyber '
'resilience investments, especially in high-risk sectors '
'like education, government, and healthcare. Regional '
'disparities in attack volumes highlight the need for '
'tailored cybersecurity strategies based on local threat '
'landscapes.',
'motivation': ['Financial Gain', 'Data Theft', 'Disruption'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Sector-specific '
'cybersecurity frameworks '
'and funding allocations.',
'Mandatory threat '
'intelligence sharing '
'platforms for high-risk '
'industries.',
'Regional cybersecurity '
'task forces to address '
'localized attack surges.'],
'root_causes': ['Underfunded cybersecurity '
'defenses in education and '
'government sectors.',
'Rapid digitisation without '
'proportional security '
'investments.',
'Uneven global cyber resilience '
'leading to regional attack '
'concentration.']},
'recommendations': ['Increase cybersecurity funding and resources for '
'underprotected sectors like education and government.',
'Implement robust incident response plans and third-party '
'threat intelligence sharing (e.g., Check Point '
'Research).',
'Enhance employee training and awareness programs to '
'mitigate human-error risks.',
'Adopt proactive measures like adaptive behavioral WAFs, '
'network segmentation, and enhanced monitoring.',
'Strengthen regulatory compliance and cross-border '
'collaboration to address global cyber threats.'],
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2025-08-31',
'source': 'Check Point Research'},
{'date_accessed': '2025-08-31', 'source': 'The Hindu'}],
'title': 'Surge in Cyberattacks Targeting Indian Organizations in August 2025',
'type': ['Cyberattacks (General)',
'Targeted Sector Attacks',
'Ransomware (US-specific)']}