Data Breach Investigations Report – Education Insights

New York  – Today, Verizon officially released the 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) - which found that slightly more than one third (35%) of all breaches in the education vertical were due to human error.

The DBIR series provides the most comprehensive view of global cybersecurity based on actual cyberattacks from malware to insider threats to cyber espionage, and this year’s report analyzes more than 41,000 cybersecurity incidents and over 2,000 data breaches from 86 countries. Key findings from the education sector this year include:

  • Approximately one fourth of breaches were web application attacks, most of which were attributable to the use of stolen credentials used to access cloud-based email.
  • There was a noticeable shift towards financially-motivated crime – with nearly 80% of incident motives being financial within the education sector. 
  • Cyber-espionage still a factor in this vertical, in part due to research partnerships with private industry and other sensitive information kept.

Additional findings from the education sector and insights on how to combat attacks can be found on page 38 of the DBIR (available here).

 

Featured

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • UT System Board of Regents Approves $108M Housing Complex

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently announced the approval of a new, $108-million housing complex at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), according to a news release. The facility will stand four stories and have a total of 456 new beds for freshmen students.

  • LSU Breaks Ground on $200M Residential Project

    Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., recently broke ground on a new residential complex, according to university news. The South Quad residential project will consist of two buildings and add a total of 1,266 beds for freshmen students. The development comes with a price tag of $200 million, and it’s scheduled to open to students in fall 2027.

  • Houston K–12 District Opens New Elementary School

    The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) recently announced the completion of a new elementary school in a western suburb of Houston, Texas, according to a news release. Haygood Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet, has the capacity for 854 students, and is the first of three new schools scheduled to be built in the Cross Creek West community.