While 2021 certainly had some attention-getting ransomware attacks, a new report from anti-virus software company Emsisoft found that ransomware attacks dropped in 2021 for both state and local governments (SLGs) and educational organizations.

Finalsite, an internet software company that provides website design, hosting, and content management solutions to school districts announced that a ransomware attack impacting 5,000 of its total 8,000 global customers.

The Broward County Public School (BCPS) District is in the process of notifying about 50,000 people that a ransomware attack earlier this year resulted in unauthorized access to some district systems that may have potentially included the sensitive information of some faculty staff and students.

Howard University has been hit by a ransomware cyberattack, the university confirmed after the information technology team detected unusual activity on the university’s network on Sept. 3.

Though government officials are increasingly urging organizations to not pay a ransom following a successful cyberattack, the majority of parents want their child’s school to pay the ransom in the event of the attack.

A new report from Sophos found that ransomware attacks against the education sector hit an all-time high in 2020.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have launched a one-stop shop at StopRansomware.gov for individuals, businesses, and organizations to help combat the increasing trend of ransomware attacks, the DoJ announced today.

White House national security staff took the Biden administration’s strategic thinking on ransomware prevention to the local government mayors this week, as administration advisors continued to work through a long list of policy items aimed at curbing the attacks and making them less profitable.

A new report has found that ransomware is the top cyber threat facing higher education amid the shift to distance and hybrid learning.

The state of Louisiana was hit with a ransomware attack on Nov. 18, making it the second attack on the state in the last six months. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, said on Twitter, “There is no anticipated data loss and the state did not pay a ransom.”