IBM (NYSE: IBM) will make in-kind grants valued at $3 million to help strengthen cybersecurity in schools. These grants will be awarded to six school districts in the United States to sponsor teams of IBMers to help them proactively prepare for and respond to cyberattacks.
Services will be delivered by teams deployed via IBM’s Service Corps Program. The grant is being announced following a December alert from the FBI warning that nearly 60% of reported ransomware incidents between August and September 2020 involved K-12 schools, a 29% jump from the months prior.
In response to the growing ransomware attacks against schools, Morning Consult conducted a study, sponsored by IBM, of 1,000 U.S. educators and administrators in K-12 schools and colleges to better understand the level of cybersecurity awareness, preparedness and training within schools during the shift to remote schooling.
The results demonstrate the growing need for improved security education and skills, as more than half of U.S. educators and administrators have not received basic cybersecurity training from their institutions despite new remote learning protocols.
Key findings from those surveyed include:
Need for Training: Nearly 60% of educators and administrators say they aren’t sure or haven’t received new cybersecurity initiatives or training for remote learning, despite 78% of educators saying they’re currently utilizing some type of online learning.
Educator Awareness: More than half have not received cybersecurity training and nearly 50% aren’t familiar with videobombing, despite its popularity during the pandemic and nearly 1 in 5 saying one of their peers had experienced video conferencing related security issues during class.
Level of Concern: Despite growing headlines about ransomware attacks on schools, half of educators and administrators aren’t concerned about an attack against their own institutions.
Security Knowledge: While administrators are nearly 20% more likely to receive cybersecurity training than educators, they are still unaware of critical information relevant to protecting their schools. For example, 83% of administrators expressed confidence in their school’s ability to handle a cyberattack, yet more than 60% are unaware whether their school even has a cyber insurance plan.
Budget Constraints: Over half of educators and administrators surveyed said budget is a large or medium barrier in strengthening their institution’s cybersecurity posture.
See story on how NC schools can apply.
