Spam and Malware Protection in U.S. Schools

Schools and districts have become prime targets for cybercriminals seeking disruption, data theft, and financial gain. With access to sensitive student and staff data, and the vital infrastructure that keeps education running, these institutions offer an appealing, and vulnerable attack surface. From ransomware and malware to spam and phishing campaigns, the volume and sophistication of threats continue to grow.

For IT professionals, the message is clear: proactive spam and malware protection is essential. With the right tools in place, schools can block harmful content before it reaches inboxes or networks, safeguarding learning environments and allowing educators to focus on what matters most: teaching.

Cyberattacks on K-12 Schools Surge

The Center for Internet Security (CIS) has identified significant increases in threats targeting K-12 schools in the USA. The report is based on 18 months of data across 5000 K-12 schools. The findings conclude the following:

• 82% of K-12 institutions have experienced cyber threats.
• Around 45% of threats target human behavior.
• Attacks surge during exams, disrupting education.

Analysis by CIS found 1 billion connection attempts to malvertisement domains(malware-laden online ads) and 320 million connection attempts to phishing domains. Ransomware, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), and data theft are all potential outcomes of malware infection.

Attackers target K-12 and school districts because they are seen as easy to exploit for financial gain and/or for disruptive purposes.

5 Key Components of a Cybersecurity Strategy in the Education Sector

Schools must develop a robust cybersecurity strategy to prevent spam and malware from compromising their systems. Five core components to include in this strategy are as follows:

#1: Retire Legacy Technology

Schools may continue to use legacy hardware and software. Security gaps open when legacy products' firmware and operating systems are not updated. Unpatched security vulnerabilities are a reason why schools fall victim to cybersecurity attacks.  While the practice of using technology beyond its supported life cycle is often attributed to budgetary constraints, it may also be due to best-of-intentions, like ensuring that a device has been value for money; unfortunately, this may mean using devices beyond vendor support; vendors stop releasing security updates for newly discovered vulnerabilities for EOL (end-of-life) technology. 

A process of EOL retirement should be implemented to ensure that cybercriminals cannot exploit software or firmware vulnerabilities.

#2: Restrict Administrator Rights and Set Least Privileges

Cybercriminals often entice younger users to download games and other applications that incorporate a malicious payload; assigning local admin rights to all standard users may make it easy for IT to deploy machines, but it also makes it easier for hackers to spread malware and viruses. However, some schools assign local admin rights to students who are unprepared for that responsibility. Both students and adults should only be assigned access rights on a need-to-know basis, known as least privileged access, i.e., permission to access apps and data only if appropriate. By reducing the risk by appropriately assigning admin privileges, a school reduces the risk of malware infection.

#3: Make Updates and Patching a Priority

School administrators and educators want to avoid any interruptions to the learning process. This can result in postponing updates and patching so as not to interfere with classroom time.  This leads to hundreds or thousands of computers with unpatched vulnerabilities and security holes.  While no one advocates students and staff rebooting their devices continually, updating systems must be a priority to prevent malware infection.  Internal IT must develop a process to manage the updated devices using a device management system such as a Group Policy or an MDM solution.

#4: Use an Advanced Email Security Solution

Email continues to be the primary delivery system for malware and virus attacks. Ransomware attacks are often initiated using email phishing. Attackers spoof email sender addresses and send spear-phishing emails containing malicious links or infected attachments. The attackers may target recipients with elevated privileges. However, even lower-privileged users can become targets; attackers then use standard tools to elevate privileges to the administrator level. Attachments and links to attacker-controlled sites are also used to trick users into downloading malware. Attacks can be multifaceted as malicious content can often download malware that provides attackers with remote control of the local machine; attackers can then modify the malware on the fly to avoid detection and change the attack focus.

Advanced email security solutions use a combination of standard email security settings (DMARC) and AI to identify malicious email messages, including spam. Messages are sent to a quarantine where administrators can review them for any malware and either delete them from the network or (in the case of a false positive) send them to the intended recipient.

#5: Deploy Advanced Internet Filtering

DNS-based content filtering is the secondary system used to mitigate malware infection. This cybersecurity system blocks access to identified IP addresses that distribute malware or participate in phishing. If an employee receives an email with a malicious link, the DNS-based content filtering system stops the recipient from accessing the attacker-controlled website.

DNS-based content filtering and AI-enabled email security solutions reduce the likelihood of a successful cyberattack. This dual approach should be used proactively to stop attacks before ransomware and other malware disrupt education.

How TitanHQ Protects Schools from Spam and Malware?

TitanHQ provides a unified security system that protects against malware and spam. Our award-winning solutions, SpamTitan and WebTitan, are designed for schools.

SpamTitan is an advanced AI-enabled email security solution that incorporates double antivirus protection. SpamTitan uses machine learning and behavioral analysis to identify zero-day and emerging threats. 

The DNS Security system provided by WebTitan stops students from accessing malicious websites and internet-based malware depositories.  It monitors and identifies malicious threats in real time and strips internet packets of malware and malicious code, thus preserving the safety of the online learning process.

Protect K12 students with multi-layer security. Talk to a TitanHQ Security Expert to discover how we can protect your school's students and teachers.