Grant recipients selected in Ireland, United Arab
Emirates, and in California, Indiana, Michigan, New
York, New Hampshire, and
Virginia
ARMONK,
N.Y., Oct. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As schools
become more dependent on technology, ransomware attacks against
schools are increasing. To help schools worldwide proactively
prepare for and respond to cyberattacks, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today
announced the first eight recipients of the 2022 IBM Education
Security Preparedness Grants, totaling $5
million in in-kind services. Each grant will sponsor IBM
Service Corps volunteers to address the selected school districts'
cybersecurity resiliency.
As the FBI, DHS CISA, and MS-ISCA anticipate an increase in
cyberattacks against schools during the 2022/2023 academic year,
schools are bracing for potential attacks and the significant costs
that follow. With cybercriminals continuing to view schools as
compelling targets, IBM's 2022 Cost of a Data Breach Report*
revealed that the cost of a data breach averages $3.86 million for education institutions. While
the report found that 49% of data breaches the industry experienced
were caused by a malicious attack, nearly 30% occurred due to human
error, emphasizing the need for proper cybersecurity training and
education in schools.
The IBM Education Security Preparedness Grants program, now in
its second year, received more than 120 applications from schools
across the U.S. and will award six school districts with grants.
This year the program is also expanding overseas with grant
recipients in Ireland and UAE
being announced today, and with recipients in Costa Rica and Brazil to be announced at a later date.
The 2022 IBM Education Security Preparedness Grant recipients
are:
- City of Dublin Educational Training Board – Ireland
- Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence –
UAE
- Cupertino Union School District – Sunnyvale, CA
- Rossville Cons. School District
– Rossville, IN
- East China School District –
East China, MI
- Newburgh Enlarged City School District – Newburgh, NY
- Goffstown School District –
Goffstown, NH
- Prince William County Public
Schools – Manassas, VA
"Ransomware operators are increasingly setting their sights on
schools, putting more pressure on these institutions to prioritize
their cybersecurity. Cyberattacks on schools do not only
impact the schools themselves, as the aftermath cascades down to
students and their families, creating a very palpable effect on
their communities," said Charles Henderson, Global Managing
Partner, and Head of IBM Security X-Force. "We're proud to be
able to support schools through this initiative, now in its second
year, by helping to address critical gaps in security resources and
planning and preparedness."
The grant applications that IBM received shed light on the
schools' levels of cybersecurity awareness, preparedness, and
training, confirming that there is always a growing need for
improved security education and skills across industries and around
the world.
Key findings from applications included:
- Targets of Cyberattacks – One in four applicants has
experienced a cybersecurity breach or ransomware attack, indicating
that cybercriminals are taking advantage of the sector's security
constraints.
- Absence of Readiness – The majority of school districts
say they do not have a cybersecurity plan in place and have not
received any cybersecurity training, increasing the security risk
posed by human error.
- Lack of Resources – Just 20% of districts have personnel
dedicated to cybersecurity.
Now in its second year, this program has already benefited
schools across the country. Barrett
Puschus, Director of Information Technology at Brevard
Public Schools, and one of the six recipients of the 2021 Education
Security Preparedness grant, said "Before this grant, we were
completely lacking in confidence in our cybersecurity. The IBM team
came in and showed us how to create a cybersecurity strategy and
plan for emergencies based on our needs. We feel optimistic about
our cybersecurity posture today thanks to IBM's help. The IBM team
was populated with top-tier experts and our team benefited greatly
from all their knowledge and experience. If you have data and
systems worth protecting, as all schools do, this program is
extremely worthwhile."
IBM Service Corps volunteers are expected to be working with the
schools to help them proactively prepare for and respond to cyber
threats. Depending on each school's needs, the engagements may
include the creation of incident response plans, ransomware
playbooks, updating technology, cybersecurity training for school
communities, and more.
"We're excited to be launching this program for the second year
in a row as part of IBM's Corporate Social Responsibility
initiatives to help schools strengthen their security postures in
response to the growing threats in the education space," said
Patrice Key-Rhone, Global Director
of Employee Giving & Volunteerism at IBM. "At IBM we're
committed to supporting schools around the globe via our education
and volunteer programs in order to help create equitable
impact."
About IBM Security
IBM Security offers one of the most advanced and integrated
portfolios of enterprise security products and services. The
portfolio, supported by world-renowned IBM Security X-Force®
research, enables organizations to effectively manage risk and
defend against emerging threats. IBM operates one of the
world's broadest security research, development, and delivery
organizations, monitors 150 billion+ security events per day
in more than 130 countries, and has been granted more than 10,000
security patents worldwide. For more information, please
check www.ibm.com/security, follow @IBMSecurity on Twitter, or
visit the IBM Security Intelligence blog.
IBM Corporate Social Responsibility
IBM's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives enable
IBM's technology and talent to address society's challenges at
scale. Pro bono consulting initiatives such as IBM Service Corps,
which demonstrate the power of technology when combined with
humanity, enable employees to assist communities with
economic development, education, safety, sustainability, and more.
To learn more about IBM's CSR and companywide Good Tech
initiatives, please visit IBM.com/impact.
IBM Service Corps deploys teams of IBM volunteers worldwide who
perform multi-week pro bono consulting engagements to help the
prosperity and well-being of communities, helping them apply
technology and related know-how involving projects that touch
education, environmental sustainability, and public health and
safety. Since 2008, IBM Service Corps has engaged over 4,000
employees in teams to undertake 456 projects in 54 countries.
* Cost of a Data Breach Report 2022, conducted by Ponemon
Institute, sponsored and analyzed by IBM
Contact:
Estefania Sanchez
estefania.sanchez@ibm.com
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SOURCE IBM