In addition to the theft of student data, intelligence officials say hackers continue to disrupt remote learning systems that schools have been forced to adopt due to pandemic social distancing requirements.
“These disruptions have included verbally harassing students and teachers, displaying pornography and/or violent images, and doxing meeting attendees,” according to the report.
The cyber security bulletin included numerous measures K-12 institutions should adopt in order to help prevent attacks, and recommended schools not pay ransoms for stolen information, which officials say only emboldens criminals to conduct further attacks.
As CNN has previously reported, cyber attacks against schools have caused significant disruptions for students, parents and teachers trying to adapt to increased distance learning programs. There have been many incidents reported this year, but one of the most severe occurred in Baltimore County, Maryland, where schools — which service 115,000 students — were forced to close for three days last month due to a ransomware attack
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