Cyberattack risk has increased for all schools and government agencies.

And CASBO Premier Plus Partner AP Keenan has tips and training for members of the CASBO network on how to conduct a strong offensive!

This past July, a cyberattack infiltrated 1,500 public agencies and small businesses, extorting millions of dollars from victims. Earlier this year, an attack on a major fuel pipeline supplying the Northeast U.S. resulted in pipeline shutdown and more than $4 million in Bitcoin transferred to the criminals.

These attacks demonstrate the tremendous leverage cyber criminals can wield, and they highlight the vulnerability of not only local education agencies (LEAs), but all public service companies, who are at risk, including public utilities, transit and traffic operations, health care facilities, IT systems for taxation and revenue, and public safety communications.

Interruption or takeover of your LEA’s system can have serious consequences, and it’s important for your leadership to recognize that systems recovery and restoral of operations are only half the concern. Organizations also need to assess the consequences of the disruption or misuse because failure can expose them to liability — from injury or economic loss — to those who depend on the infrastructure.

Prevention is the most effective way to protect systems from these attacks. If you’d like advice on strategically preventing attacks, staying well ahead of cyber criminals and mitigating risk, get in touch with AP Keenan to see how they can help your LEA stay safe.

Founded in 1972, Keenan joined the AssuredPartners family of companies in 2017, becoming AP Keenan. AP Keenan has a 49-year track record of serving schools, community colleges, health care organizations and public agencies. As part of the AssuredPartners group of independent brokers, currently ranked as the 11th largest in the U.S., AP Keenan provides innovative employee benefits, health benefits management, workers’ compensation, risk management, and property and liability programs throughout the country.

CASBO partners are committed to providing solutions to the challenges facing our school business leaders and serving as “thought leaders” who share valuable information that promotes the professional development of our members. If your company is interested in becoming a CASBO partner, we encourage you to learn more about the program and consider playing a critical role within our network and building strong, lasting business partnerships with education professionals!