5 critical steps to securing modern school networks

March 1, 2020

After over 30 years in IT, change is the only constant. I love that this job brings with it constant opportunities for me to learn and grow. Unfortunately, if you are like me, the past several years have seen an exponential increase in risk, and a serious loss of sleep.

I have ransomware to thank for that.

In 1989, biologist Joseph L. Popp created the first ransomware, called the AIDS Trojan, but it wasn’t until 2013 that two Russian hackers realized people would pay them to unencrypt files they had encrypted. Fast-forward a few years, and ransomware costs to organizations are now measured in the billions of dollars. It’s no longer a “guy living in his parents’ basement” thing — it’s big business.

And it’s not slowing down anytime soon.

Education Dive