Clickjacking is the most common form of hacking in education

A Specops Software survey has revealed that 66% of cyber-attacks in education take the form of clickjacking, making it the most common malicious technique to impact the industry.

Specops asked 1,731 respondents from a range of sectors whether they/their company had experienced a cyber-attack in the last five years. Participants were then asked to identify which forms of hacking they had fallen victim to. The list included bait-and-switch, browser locker, burrowing malware, cookie theft, Denial of Service (DDOS), fake WAP, human error, and more.

The most prevalent hacking technique according to industry is revealed in the graphic below:

Respondents from each survey were then asked further questions, detailing the efforts companies take to combat future attacks, also noting the cybersecurity training offered in the workplace and the general risks posed to businesses.

Darren James, Specops Software’s cybersecurity expert, offers his advice on preventing future attacks:

1. Always update – this includes antivirus software. Programmes are consistently updated, and every update provides vital patches or bug fixes. Missing any of these could expose a weakness to potential hackers.
2. Nip it in the bud – at the first sign of strange activity (e.g. unusually large data usage, slow service, pop-ups, etc.) flag it. A superior will then be able to conduct the necessary checks and stop a potential virus from getting worse.
3. Don’t believe everything you read – many still fall for simple phishing scams and clickbait viruses, resulting in serious security breaches. Always question what’s presented to you.
4. If in doubt, refrain from clicking – it’s better to be safe than sorry! There’s no way to know the contents of a document or link before opening, especially since hackers adapt to technological advancements. Ask for advice,  but ultimately avoid it if you are unsure.

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