2019 State of K-12 Cybersecurity Report

K-12 Cybersecurity Incidents Increased 185% Over 2018

Cloud Security Gaps in K-12 Cybersecurity are Contributing to Data Security Issues

K-12 school districts are on the leading edge of adopting cloud technology, including Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, to improve student experiences and operational efficiencies. At the same time, districts are not leading in cloud security. As a result, they are increasingly experiencing cybersecurity incidents that put student, staff, and community outcomes at risk.

This infographic is developed in partnership with the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center, based in part on the data from its 2019 K-12 Cybersecurity Year in Review Report. It breaks down the total number of cybersecurity incidents affecting K-12 education industries in 2019, in which and new research found 348 publicly disclosed incidents — a 185% increase year-over-year. The data also shows that districts with an enrollment of 2,500 to 9,999 students experienced 38.79% of cybersecurity incidents and urban districts with 10,000 or more students are most likely to experience a future incident.

Key Findings:

  • 60% of the total cybersecurity incidents were due to a data breach or unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data
  • Ransomware accounted for 17.82% of the total cybersecurity incidents
  • Worldwide cybercrime losses amounted to a total of $3.5 billion
  • While there are over 180 million users of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 for Education, only 3% of school districts are currently using cloud security technology

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