India’s education and research sectors were most prone to cyberattacks among all others in the month of July, with an average of 5,196 attacks weekly per organisation, according to a report by security research firm Check Point.
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This marked a 22% increase from the first half of 2021, indicating that schools, universities, and research facilities are more vulnerable than before, the report noted.
Globally, the education/research sector experienced the highest volume of online attacks, with an average of 1,739 attacks weekly per organisation. This marked a nearly 30% increase from the first six months of the year, according to Check Point.
Italy’s education sector was most vulnerable after India, witnessing a 70% increase from the earlier half of the year. Israel and Australia were the third- and fourth-most targeted countries.
The pandemic prompted a shift to remote working and studying, requiring organisations, schools and other institutions to adapt and update their infrastructure to suit growing needs. But with this came vulnerability to cyberattacks, and organisations in the education and research sector are finding themselves engaged in a cyber security battle like never before, the report noted.
Check Point’s report also stated that in more than half of the countries surveyed, education/research sector was the most attacked sector in 94% of them, including it in the top three most attacked sectors.
Moreover, the same sector in South Asia region is currently experiencing the highest volume of attacks, followed by East Asia and Australia-New Zealand.
Regular reviewing of passwords, deploying anti-ransomware technology, and encrypting private data can be effective in protecting organisations from cyberattacks, Check Point added.