Education Sector Strengthens Against Ransomware, Sophos Report Finds

Faster recovery and fewer ransom payments mark sector progress

The global education sector is making headway in the fight against ransomware, according to the fifth annual Sophos State of Ransomware in Education report. The study, based on insights from 441 IT and cybersecurity leaders, shows faster recovery times, fewer ransom payments, and significantly reduced costs.

Ransomware has been a daily threat to schools worldwide for the past five years. Primary and secondary institutions, often underfunded and understaffed, are targeted because of their sensitive data. Attacks disrupt learning, strain budgets, and erode trust within communities.

Key Findings

• Improved recovery: 97% of institutions that suffered data encryption were able to recover their data.
• Payment trends: Ransom demands fell 73%. Average payments dropped from US$6M to US$800K in lower education, and from US$4M to US$463K in higher education.
• Reduced costs: Recovery expenses declined 77% in higher education and 39% in lower education. Despite this, lower education still recorded the highest recovery costs across industries.
• Stronger defense: Lower education institutions blocked 67% of attacks before files were encrypted, their best rate in four years. Higher education institutions blocked 38%.

Remaining Gaps
Despite progress, challenges persist:

• 64% of victims reported missing or weak protections.
• 66% cited insufficient staffing or expertise.
• 67% admitted to ongoing security gaps.
  AI-powered phishing, deepfakes, and unpatched vulnerabilities remain pressing risks. Higher education is especially vulnerable due to its valuable AI research data.

Human Toll
IT staff bore the weight of these attacks. Over one in four took leave after an incident, 40% reported stress, and more than one-third felt guilty for not preventing breaches.

Expert Recommendations
Sophos urges schools to:

• Prioritize prevention alongside detection.
• Coordinate cybersecurity strategies across IT systems.
• Partner with providers for managed detection and response (MDR).
• Strengthen response readiness with incident plans and simulations.

“Ransomware attacks in education don’t just disrupt classrooms, they disrupt communities,” said Alexandra Rose, Director of CTU Threat Research at Sophos. “The priority must be prevention as adversaries adopt new AI-driven tactics.”

The full 2025 State of Ransomware in Education report is available at Sophos.com.