National cyber security coordinator warns schools becoming targets

Australia’s national cyber security coordinator has warned that schools may be the next major target of ransomware groups.

Speaking at a NAB-run seminar, Air Marshal Darren Goldie said that schools were already being targeted in the United States, and this could expand to Australia as well.

“Amidst growing ransomware attacks, schools are becoming more prominent targets,” he said, according to a NAB blog post.

“We’re seeing this play out in the US where it’s a significant problem.

“If you consider the profile of a school, they are the same exact size of a successful medium-sized business, with a couple of thousand individuals all carrying personal devices with personal information connected to a school network.”

He added that schools are also “small enough not to have full time cyber security teams and generally don’t have the resources for a 24/7 threat response partner.” 

“Unfortunately, these are the targets that cyber criminals can attack easily and demand a ransom,” he said.

Australian schools are known to have previously been targeted by ransomware groups, albeit on an individual basis.