In The News | Layered Cybersecurity Approaches: Why Schools Need to Prioritize Them

This article was originally published in IT Business Net on 8/27/24 by Charlie Sander, CEO at ManagedMethods.

The cybersecurity landscape has become more and more complex over the years, especially for schools because they are now relying on various types of digital platforms for teaching, learning, and administrative tasks. There is a mountain of different threats, such as ransomware and data breaches, that are regularly hitting schools. For example, in February earlier this year, the behaviour management platform, Class Charts, experienced a data breach that led to parent reports showing data from completely different pupils from other schools.

The most effective strategy for mitigating these threats is with a layered cybersecurity approach. Today, we’re going to dive into how this can improve school security and discuss how to maintain these various layers

The Cyberthreat Landscape in Schools

In the last ten years, the education sector has seen a massive increase in cybersecurity incidents. According to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office, the number of cyberattacks impacting schools has increased significantly from 2016 to 2020—and that trend is continuing today. These incidents can expose sensitive student and staff information as well as disrupt school operations and drain financial resources.

How Does Layered Cybersecurity Work?

Layered cybersecurity is essentially the idea of employing multiple layers of control in order to protect an organization’s information systems. This approach is based on the idea that no single measure is going to be effective at defending against all threats 100% of the time, so if one level fails the overlapping layers of defense can secure the system.

There are a number of key components to bear in mind…