Top 5 cybersecurity threats to schools

The top cybersecurity threats to schools include phishing, malware, ransomware, weak credentials, and distributed denial-of-service attacks. These threats are especially risky in K–12 and higher ed environments because schools often manage large numbers of users, aging devices, limited IT staff, and sensitive student data.

We’ll break down these common security threats to schools and school districts, including real-world examples. We’ll also share what security measures help you protect your school, mitigate cybersecurity risks, and maintain normal school operations.

1. Phishing 

Phishing attacks use social engineering to trick students, teachers, or staff into clicking malicious links, downloading infected files, or sharing sensitive information. For schools, phishing is especially risky because users often include large groups of students and busy staff who may not recognize suspicious messages.

While the tactics are deceptively simple, phishing prevention is remarkably hard. That’s because so much of the weight of protecting against a phishing attack falls on your users. Worse still, many phishing emails look surprisingly legitimate. And when your users consist primarily of weary students and overworked teachers, you can’t expect them to see through phishing emails 100% of the time. 

Example 

The Adna School District, a small district in rural Washington, lost $346,000 in a phishing scam in 2023. Scammers created an email account in the name of a general contractor that the district worked with and sent a bill. The district paid but found out it was a scam after talking to the real general contractor, the county treasurer’s office, and the treasurer’s bank. 

As a result, the school district had to reassess payment methods and processes, perform network diagnostics, ramp up cybersecurity awareness training, institute two-factor authentication, and support law enforcement’s investigation. Oh, yeah — and deal with that gaping hole in the budget. 

Solution 

Cybersecurity training is your best bet to equip users with the skills they need to recognize and report any phishing attempt. But beyond that, consider adding an antiphishing extension to your default browser and using threat detection services that scan files prior to download. 

2. Malware 

Malware is malicious software that can steal data, disrupt systems, monitor user activity, or give attackers access to school devices and networks. Between keyloggers, trojans, worms, adware, cryptojackers, and botnet cyberattacks, there’s plenty of malware that goes bump in the night. And the threat of malware continues to grow. In 2025, there was a reported 131% year-over-year increase in email-based malware attacks alone.

Example 

In November 2020, threat actors successfully hacked Baltimore County Public Schools using a phishing email that installed malware. The cybersecurity incident disrupted the school system’s website and remote learning for several days. The resulting damages and system upgrades cost approximately $10 million. 

Solution 

We’d love to say standing by your router and shouting, "You shall not pass!” should do the trick. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. You’ll need a more multifaceted approach to keep out the B̶a̶l̶r̶o̶g̶s̶ malware. We suggest antimalware software, regular scanning, strong firewalls, comprehensive user training, and regular software patching. 

3. Ransomware 

Ransomware is malware that encrypts or steals school data so attackers can demand payment to restore access or prevent exposure. It deserves its own category because ransomware attacks can disrupt classes, compromise student information, and create expensive recovery work for already stretched IT teams. In 2025, there were 251 reported ransomware attacks on educational institutions.

Ransomware effectively takes your school data and sensitive information hostage by encrypting it. If you pay the fee attackers demand, they say they’ll unencrypt it. But the truth is, they may just take your money and run. Still, 49% of victims pay the ransom — which is probably part of why ransomware remains so popular. 

Example 

Maryland’s Prince George’s County started the 2023–2024 school year with a ransomware attack that affected approximately 4,500 user accounts. While the district worked with cybersecurity and forensic specialists to restore systems and investigate the incident, it now must also review the potentially compromised data, notify affected users that their personal information may be compromised, and offer access to free credit monitoring. 

More recently, Instructure’s Canvas platform was hit by a cyber extortion attack during finals in May 2026. While the incident wasn’t traditional ransomware that encrypted school files, attackers reportedly stole user data, disrupted access, and used threats of data exposure as leverage — a reminder that ransomware tactics continue to evolve.

Solution

The best way to prevent ransomware and minimize its potential damage is good cyber hygiene coupled with robust cybersecurity measures. Patch those vulnerabilities. Create offline backups. Incorporate robust monitoring to detect intrusion. You know the drill. 

4. Weak credentials 

Weak credentials make it easier for attackers to access school systems, especially when students or staff reuse passwords across multiple platforms. Guessable, reused, or default passwords can expose email accounts, learning platforms, IoT devices, and administrative systems.

Using guessable passwords simplifies brute force attacks. Using the same password across platforms means cybercriminals can access countless platforms with just one set of compromised credentials. Using the default password for IoT devices means that just about anyone can access the device if they choose. There are just so many paths to failure.

According to a survey by Bitwarden, 72% of Gen Z respondents admit to reusing passwords. And don't even get us started on how many people would gladly use "password" as their password if given the opportunity. The odds of users choosing exclusively strong passwords are not in your favor. 

Example 

In perhaps the creepiest example of a cyberattack we’ve ever shared, intruders gained unauthorized access to the CCTV of four schools in the U.K., streaming live video online. Reportedly, the affected cameras lacked any password protection, so we can’t even call this one a hack.

Solution 

You’re probably sick of hearing it. We are. But we gotta mention security awareness training again. Sure, some users will still use weak credentials. If you train them, though, at least few more might hop on the cybersecurity bandwagon. And that’s a step in the right direction.

While you’re at it, establish a clear password policy and enforce it (if you don’t already). A written policy clarifies your expectations and sets consequences if someone routinely fails to meet them. For school staff, you might also consider adopting a password manager to make life easier. 

5. Distributed denial-of-service attacks 

A distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS) floods a school network, website, or online platform with traffic from multiple sources, often using botnets made up of malware-infected computers. The combination of an easy-to-access school network and outdated assets makes schools a prime target for DDoS attacks. Plus, orchestrating a DDoS attack is simple enough that even a tech-savvy middle schooler can do it (or pay someone else to for a remarkably budget-friendly price).

Example 

In Greece, a large-scale DDoS attack against the Education Ministry caused outages and delays in a centralized high school examination platform. Students ended up waiting hours to take the exam, and a political dispute ensued. 

Solution 

While backup internet service would be a nice touch, we know that’s probably not in the budget. Otherwise, high-quality firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), and traffic analysis tools can help identify and filter out abnormal traffic associated with a DDoS attack. Cloud-based DDoS protection is also available to redirect traffic to a cloud-based scrubbing center to filter out malicious traffic during an attack. 

School cybersecurity FAQs

What are the top cybersecurity threats to schools?

The top cybersecurity threats to schools are phishing, malware, ransomware, weak credentials, and distributed denial-of-service attacks. These threats can disrupt learning, expose student data, and create expensive recovery work for understaffed IT teams.

Why are schools common targets for cyberattacks?

Schools are common cyberattack targets because they often manage sensitive student data, outdated devices, limited IT staff, and large user groups. Personal devices, unsecured IoT devices, and untrained users can also increase risk.

How can schools reduce cybersecurity risks?

Schools can reduce cybersecurity risks with security awareness training, regular patching, antimalware software, MFA, strong password policies, offline backups, firewalls, and intrusion detection. The most effective approach combines user training with consistent endpoint maintenance.

Why is ransomware a major threat to schools?

Ransomware is a major threat to schools because it can encrypt or steal sensitive data, disrupt classes, and force expensive recovery work. Schools should reduce ransomware risk with offline backups, patching, monitoring, and strong access controls.

Securing hundreds or thousands of school devices is difficult when IT teams are understaffed, budgets are tight, and endpoints need constant patching, monitoring, and support. When you're struggling to just keep up with the constant requests to deploy Minecraft Education, proactive cybersecurity seems darn near impossible. Such are the sacrifices sysadmins make to work in education. 

But you don’t have to whittle your sleep schedule down to two hours a night just to get by. PDQ’s product suite helps you maintain up-to-date devices with less manual work, thereby improving the cybersecurity posture of your school’s fleet. Try PDQ to see how easy it is to do more with your limited staff and budget.