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

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • University of Kentucky Reopens Scovell Hall

    The University of Kentucky recently reopened Scovell Hall, part of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), following comprehensive renovations to the 120-year-old facility in Lexington, Ky., according to a news release.

  • Tennessee Middle School Completes Health, Life Safety Renovations

    The Giles County Board of Education in Pulaski, Tenn., recently announced that a series of renovation projects has been completed at Bridgeforth Middle School, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers and Brindley Construction to modernize building systems at one of the district’s oldest schools.