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Missouri Schools and Businesses Ramp Up Cybersecurity Measures

In the last few years, cyberattacks have been happening more often as the world continues to switch to having a bigger online presence. But has been happening to make these attacks occur more often?

Online Storage

For hundreds of years, businesses and governments have used paper and ink to store information about their business. Information about the people and everyday life has been stored in thick, leather-bound volumes, listing everything about them. Some things have been carved into stone or stitched into a tapestry as a way of record keeping. But, it is only in recent years that information has become valuable. And having it stored online poses a risk. Storing information digitally has many benefits, including being able to make copies quickly and instant access that doesn’t involve searching through stacks of paper.

Who Stores Information?

In Missouri, everyone from your local dry cleaner to the local high school has been switching how they do business, and part of this includes taking those paper records and storing them online. They might only have a couple of years worth of information connected to the internet but this is information that could be vulnerable in a cyber attack. The information which is held on a government database or banking details are seen as the most valuable, but any personal information about yourself or your business could be of use to a cyber-criminal.

Why is Missouri in the Spotlight?

As everything is slowly shifting online, there has been a focus by local governments to ensure that your data is protected. The Office of Security Management in Missouri was created over a decade ago, and they have been focusing their efforts on preventing cyberattacks happening to government offices and private businesses in the state. Since 2019, there have been over 50 attacks that used various types of attacks including malware and data breaches. This includes dozens of attacks on law enforcement in the state.

Why are Schools Important?

If there is one thing we can all agree on, it is that children have been left vulnerable when it comes to online security. Children are spending more time online than ever, and this makes them accessible to people who would do them harm. Having a data breach in a school makes them even more vulnerable. Unfortunately, predators are becoming more creative in their ways to groom children online, and this includes getting access to as much of their personal information as possible in order to befriend them. When it comes to cybersecurity in schools, the aim is to keep the students protected from harm by protecting their data.

How can Schools Improve Their Cybersecurity?

Schools are a jackpot of information that need to be protected from attacks. When it comes to a possible cyberattack on a school, you need a professional team to help prevent any issues from arising. Despite the state having an excellent set of cybersecurity measures in place, it is clear that the number of breaches proved that Missouri is under a cyber attack, so you and your business need to protect yourself from harm.