K-12 School Incident Response Plans Fall Short

K-12 schools are increasingly targeted by ransomware and extortion campaigns that exploit outdated systems, limited IT resources, and poor security hygiene; surveys cited show high targeting and payout rates, and incidents frequently lead to data breaches and prolonged operational disruptions. The report highlights prevalent attacker techniques (phishing, credential theft, infostealers), stresses the need for incident response planning, monitoring, and communication with parents and authorities, and recommends leveraging community resources and exercises to improve preparedness.