Mike Lettman
Cybersecurity Advisor
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Agency
The recent cyber attack on the Tucson Unified School District highlights the importance of cybersecurity in the education sector. K-12 schools are increasingly becoming targets for cybercriminals due to the sensitive and valuable information they hold, such as student data and financial information.
Cyber criminals use various techniques to gain access to systems, including exploiting vulnerabilities in software and hardware, phishing scams, and other malicious activities. The use of ransomware, where cyber criminals encrypt an organization's data and demand payment for its release, is becoming a common tactic in cyber attacks.
The formation of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in 2018 has helped to improve the overall cybersecurity posture of the United States by providing critical infrastructure entities with information, guidance, and assistance to help reduce their risk of cyber attack.
The recovery process after a ransomware attack can be long and complex, and it may take several weeks or even months to fully restore systems to their pre-attack state. In the meantime, organizations may have to rely on manual processes or alternative systems to continue their operations.
CISA provides a wide range of resources and tools to help organizations protect themselves from cyber attacks, including the "Partnering to Safeguard K-12 Toolkit." This toolkit provides educational institutions with information and best practices on how to enhance their cybersecurity posture and reduce their risk of attack.
To protect against cyber attacks, it is essential to stay up-to-date with security patches and updates, implement multi-factor authentication, and educate users on the importance of cybersecurity and how to avoid becoming a victim of a cyber attack. "Patch, patch, patch" is a crucial step in maintaining the security of systems and protecting against cyber threats.
In this Interview Segment from TechtalkRadio, Andy Taylor talks with Cybersecurity Advisor Mike Lettman with CISA on Tip to help with system security.