What is the right cybersecurity solution for education?

NETSCOUT researchers observed an increase in DDoS attack activity targeting universities and colleges in the fall of 2021, as institutions resume face-to-face learning and lift restrictions COVID-19.

The report also reveals that rented DDoS attack services are increasingly common on the Internet. Many sites also offer them for a small fee and with minimal screening processes. This means that anyone can hire DDoS services to attack certain targets without needing an electronic payment account to use these services. This convenience makes it possible for external adversaries to carry out cyberattacks on the systems of educational institutions.

In fact, NETSCOUT researchers found 19 leased, confirmed DDoS attack sites that offer more than 200 attack styles for customers to choose from. Some offer users specific services to beat their opponents in online gaming platforms. Other sites have even been found to offer services that can circumvent standard DDoS protections. Given the availability and popularity of these services, creating a DDoS attack is extremely simple.

This could have implications for the continued transition of educational services to digital platforms. Most notably, Ofqual, the UK's governing body for student exams, recently announced plans to move traditional paper-based exams to online exams. While digital transformation in education offers many benefits, if this plan is implemented, platforms can become the next target of DDoS attacks aimed at causing chaos, especially for national exams. Therefore, the education sector needs to ensure that strategies for mitigating and preventing cyberattacks are included in the digital transformation plan.

The education industry can implement many effective strategies to protect against DDoS threats. In fact, organizations can prevent 90% of DDoS attacks with modern cybersecurity solutions.

First, attackers need vulnerable electronics to spoof and generate IP addresses. This is done to mimic another computer system or device, allowing the bad guys to carry out DDoS attacks and perform other malicious activities. IP spoofing also hides the attacker's real identity and reduces the likelihood of detection during a cyber attack. To prevent this activity, system administrators can deploy a comprehensive protection system to protect an organization's network from suspicious activity and ensure that traffic is allowed.

Another method to protect organizations' websites and applications is to control the flow of incoming traffic. This can be done by simply limiting user access - similar to how an organization can limit the number of users it provides a service to. This control can be configured based on the types of services deployed and, if robust enough, can significantly reduce the risk posed by DDoS attacks. This means that if the malicious components in the attack are blocked, make sure the attack is disabled.

Finally, it is necessary to promote network cleaning activities to provide a good online learning environment for students and lecturers. Every member of your organization should be taught the importance of being alert to suspicious emails and attachments. In this case, IT departments of educational institutions should also install scanners and anti-virus software on every computer in the facility to detect malware and other cyber threats before opening an email. , attachments or links.

By properly implementing these strategies, universities and colleges or other educational institutions can significantly reduce the damage caused by DDoS attacks. If the education industry becomes the next target of a DDoS attack, following current cybersecurity practices is the best solution to protect yourself.

Currently on the market there are many website security solutions, but the most prominent among them is the VNIS platform. This is the security solution chosen by more than 2000 businesses to completely prevent all forms of DDoS attacks. At the same time, VNIS helps to improve the operating performance of the Website and optimize the user experience. To experience VNIS, please call the hotline: (028) 7306 8789 or email contact@vnetwork.vn.