Education Sector Sees Cyber Attacks Jump, Check Point Says

(Bloomberg) --

Organizations around the world suffered a jump in cyberattacks in July as compared to the first half of the year, with education the most impacted sector and Israel one of the most affected countries, Israeli cybersecurity company Check Point Software Technologies said in a blog post. 

The education and research center sector saw attacks grow by almost 30%, with Italy, India and Israel being the top targets, the Check Point researchers found. It said educators have become more vulnerable since the sector pivoted to a mostly remote workforce at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Organizations in the education and research sector are finding themselves engaged in a cyber security battle like never before,” it said. 

Also Sunday, the Israel Manufacturers Association issued its first survey of cyber attacks on its members and found that one in four Israeli companies have been hit, and in 2020 more than $1 billion went to pay off hackers using ransomware. 

Lior Frenkel, chief executive officer of Waterfall Security, who heads a cyberforum at the Manufacturers Association, said the survey showed that Israel’s industrial sector isn’t prepared for cyber attacks -- despite the country’s reputation for developing top-notch cyber security.

“Israel is considered one of the world’s cybersecurity powers and as such has developed the most advanced technologies in the world,” Frenkel said in a texted statement. 

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