Safeguard Our Schools: Bolstering Ransomware Resilience with Zerto
In today’s digital age, the education sector faces a growing threat: ransomware. During a ransomware attack, malicious software encrypts a school’s data, rendering it inaccessible until a ransom is paid. Ransomware can disrupt classes, compromise sensitive student and staff information, and damage your finances and reputation.
A recent article on NewsNationNow, “Hackers Target Schools in Rampant Ransomware Attacks,” sheds light on the alarming surge of cyberattacks on educational institutions. Because kids simply can’t be kept out of school for weeks at a time, and because educational data is confidential, schools are especially vulnerable targets. In fact, at least 48 school districts in the U.S. have been hit by ransomware in 2023—already more than all those attacked in 2022.
To prepare for this concerning trend, schools need a robust solution to defend against the devastating impact of ransomware attacks. Zerto, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, offers innovative technology for ransomware resilience and disaster recovery that shields schools from cyberattacks. Below we explore the Zerto technologies that ensure our schools can continue to provide safe and uninterrupted education.
The Zerto Arsenal Against Ransomware
- Continuous Data Protection: Zerto continuous data protection (CDP) technology continually replicates data to a secure offsite location. This means that, even if ransomware strikes, schools can swiftly recover their data, drastically minimizing downtime and data loss.
- Ransomware Detection: Using the Zerto CDP engine with always-on replication and journaling technology, in-line streaming detection is continuously monitoring all data. Zerto detects data encryption from a ransomware attack in seconds. Real-time alerts can send incident response teams into action to isolate and mitigate the attack. When the recovery process begins quickly, schools can take action mid-attack rather than hours or days later.
- Rapid Recovery: Zerto uses a journal to provide point-in-time recovery. Schools can recover to a specific point just seconds before the ransomware attack occurred, minimizing the impact on daily operations.
- Testing and Validation: Zerto enables schools to regularly test their disaster recovery plans without disrupting production systems, ensuring they’re ready to respond effectively to ransomware or any other disaster.
- Lowest Recovery Time and Recovery Point Objectives: With industry-leading recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs), Zerto ensures that schools can quickly bounce back from a ransomware incident with only seconds of data loss.
The Path Forward: Proactive Defense
The ransomware threat is growing, and it demands proactive prevention and rapid recovery strategies. Cutting-edge technology from Zerto offers your school the tools to defend against ransomware attacks and maintain continuity of vital educational services.
As we navigate the challenges of the digital age, innovative solutions like Zerto are crucial to safeguard the integrity of our educational systems and protect the sensitive information of students and staff. The recent surge in ransomware attacks is a wakeup call, but with Zerto by their side, schools can fortify their defenses and emerge victorious in the battle against ransomware.
To see how Zerto can protect your school from ransomware, check out Zerto for Ransomware.
To learn more about how Zerto is providing uninterrupted operations for government agencies, check out Zerto for Government.
Michael Nassis 
