An unnamed educational institution in the US fell victim to a **ransomware attack** amid a **41% global surge in cyberactivity targeting schools** (Jan–Jul 2025). The attack, part of a broader trend where US institutions saw a **67% year-on-year increase**, encrypted critical systems including student records, financial aid databases, and research data. The breach disrupted operations for weeks, forcing cancellations of online classes and delaying admissions processing. While no direct evidence of data exfiltration was confirmed, the attackers demanded a **multi-million-dollar ransom**, threatening to leak sensitive student and faculty information if unpaid. The institution faced **reputational damage** as local media covered the incident, and parents raised concerns over data privacy. Recovery costs—including system restoration, legal fees, and cybersecurity upgrades—exceeded **$5 million**, straining the institution’s budget. The attack underscored the education sector’s vulnerability, now the **most targeted globally**, with ransomware groups exploiting underfunded IT defenses.
Source: https://tech.co/news/cyberattacks-us-education-sector-rise
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/check-point-software-technologies
"id": "che0802408090925",
"linkid": "check-point-software-technologies",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "1/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'education',
'location': ['APAC',
'Africa',
'Europe',
'Latin America',
'North America'],
'type': 'educational institution'}],
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-07-31',
'description': 'A study by Check Point Research reveals a 41% year-on-year '
'(YoY) increase in cyberattacks on educational facilities '
'between January and July 2025. The US saw the steepest rise '
'at 67% YoY, consolidating the education sector as the most '
'attacked globally. This trend aligns with broader '
'cybersecurity challenges, including a 78% ransomware '
'targeting rate across companies in the past year, with severe '
'consequences for high-profile breaches.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'severe (education sector reputation at '
'risk)',
'operational_impact': 'high (sector-wide disruption)'},
'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': ['student records',
'research data',
'financial systems']},
'investigation_status': 'ongoing (sector-wide trend analysis)',
'lessons_learned': 'The education sector remains a prime target for '
'cybercriminals due to often underfunded cybersecurity '
'infrastructure. Proactive measures, including threat '
'intelligence sharing, staff training, and investment in '
'advanced defenses (e.g., zero-trust architectures), are '
'critical to mitigating risks.',
'motivation': ['financial gain', 'disruption', 'data theft'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': ['Underinvestment in cybersecurity '
'infrastructure',
'Lack of employee training on '
'phishing and social engineering',
'Delayed patching of known '
'vulnerabilities',
'Insufficient network '
'segmentation']},
'recommendations': ['Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all '
'systems.',
'Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing.',
'Enhance endpoint detection and response (EDR) '
'capabilities.',
'Develop and test incident response plans specific to '
'ransomware and data breaches.',
'Collaborate with government and private-sector '
'cybersecurity initiatives (e.g., CISA in the US).',
'Prioritize patch management to address known '
'vulnerabilities.'],
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2025-07-31',
'source': 'Check Point Research'}],
'title': 'Global Surge in Cyberattacks on Educational Institutions (2025)',
'type': ['cyberattack', 'ransomware', 'targeted campaign']}