Municipalities And Schools Prepared For Cybersecurity Defense

(December 23, 2022) - Karen I. Bridges of Wilson Elser discusses the evolving cyberthreats faced by educational and governmental organizations and new requirements from regulators intended to improve their cyber protections.

It's the middle of August, and teachers are busy getting their classrooms ready for another school year, while parents complete last-minute registration tasks. All of a sudden the computer network is down with a message that a threat actor is demanding a ransom. Nothing can get done and the busiest time of year for teachers has come to an abrupt halt.

School administrators are faced with an untenable choice: do you pay the ransom and get school started on time or do you delay school and try to restore from backup? The school administrators must address these questions while being flooded with inquiries from the media, concerned parents and teachers asking what information was impacted.