White House to Host Summit to Tackle Alarming Surge in Cyberattacks on Schools

The White House will host a summit on Monday to explore ways to improve school cybersecurity across the country in the face of rising ransomware assaults.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (L) and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona talk to reporters during the daily news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, on June 30, 2023. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In recent years, the United States has seen a troubling rise in cyberattacks that have targeted schools. During the 2022–2023 academic year, at least eight K–12 school districts across the country were targeted by “significant cyberattacks,” according to the White House. Four of these attacks resulted in schools being forced to either cancel classes or shut down entirely.

In response to this threat, the White House will host a summit on Monday to explore ways to improve school cybersecurity across the country in the face of rising ransomware assaults.