The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently investigating a severe data breach affecting the administrative systems of public schools in the Bismarck area.
According to data released from the private company, which provided the software to schools, more than eighteen thousand (18,500) current and former students and faculty members were affected by the malware attack.
This means that the personal information of these people might be in the hands of hackers, who can use it for numerous illegal activities. According to schools, the data breach means that the names, addresses, emails, and phones of individuals in the administrative system have been accessed.
Public school cybersecurity
The Bismarck area is one of the worst affected by the data breach to the Pearson school software. As previously reported, more than thirteen thousand schools and higher education institutions were affected by the cyberattack.
Public school cybersecurity is becoming a serious issue across the globe as many educational institutions are falling victim to malicious breaches. Hackers have realized that school systems and archives are full of personal data, which can be utilized in numerous ways, most of which are illegal.
Schools and universities must start protecting the personal information of faculty members and students better. There is a worrying trend of an increase in cyberattacks against educational institutions. This is why many schools have decided to be proactive and strengthen their cybersecurity before hackers try to test their defenses.
Recent instances of cyberattacks against educational institutions include the data breach at Lancaster University and the malware attack against schools in Alabama.
