Australia’s national cyber security coordinator, Air Marshal Darren Goldie, has issued a warning that schools may become the next major target for ransomware groups due to their lean teams and limited resources. Speaking at a NAB-run seminar, Goldie highlighted the increasing prominence of schools as targets in the United States and the potential for similar attacks in Australia. He emphasized that schools share a profile similar to successful medium-sized businesses, making them vulnerable due to the absence of full-time cybersecurity teams and inadequate resources for continuous threat response. Goldie expressed concern that cybercriminals could exploit these weaknesses, demanding ransoms from schools with personal devices and information connected to their networks. Despite past individual incidents of ransomware targeting Australian schools, the national cyber security coordinator urged increased vigilance and preparedness in the face of growing threats.
