Cyberattacks surge in Indian educational institutions, nearly 8,000 per week

The security of our personal data is more important than ever in the modern digital world, particularly in the educational field. A concerning pattern has been shown by a recent Check Point Software Technologies Threat Intelligence Report showing the number of cyberattacks directed at Indian educational institutions has increased to almost 8,000 per week.

This number is over twice as high as the average for the entire world, which is about 3,355 attacks per week.

Serious cyber dangers also confront other businesses, in addition to the education sector. A weekly average of 7,982 attacks are reported against healthcare organizations, compared to 4,590 attacks on the government and military.

The consulting sector is not far behind, with 4,177 hits every week.

The rapid shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 epidemic and the ongoing digital revolution of education are partly responsible for this spike in cyber risks.

Cybercriminals target educational institutions because they gather and retain large volumes of sensitive data, including financial, academic, and personal information.

These institutions now have a larger digital footprint due to the proliferation of online learning platforms, which makes them more susceptible to data breaches.

Cybercriminals are stealing personally identifiable information (PII), which is frequently sold on the Dark Web, by taking advantage of lax cybersecurity safeguards in colleges and universities.

Over the last six months, Indian organizations have experienced 3,244 cyberattacks on average every week—nearly twice as many as the global average of 1,657 attacks.

This striking distinction draws attention to the increased dangers that Indian organizations face in the wake of evolving cyberthreats.

The most prevalent malware types in India, according to the research, are Formbook, Qbot, and Fake Updates. It is concerning to note that 54% of these attacks are sent by email, and 58% of these attacks use.exe files.

Furthermore, information disclosure vulnerabilities have impacted 70% of Indian organizations, exposing private information to possible dangers.