Kids hacking for kicks are causing security headaches at schools

"The biggest cybersecurity risk faced by schools comes from the pupils themselves, according to new research from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). In what it described as a 'worrying trend', more than half of cyber incidents at schools were caused by students. More than a third of incidents involved pupils guessing weak passwords or finding them jotted down on bits of paper."

"These teen hackers are most commonly English-speaking males, although around 5% of all 14-year-old boys and girls admit to 'hacking' in some capacity. The reasons given include dares, notoriety, financial gain, revenge, and rivalries. Heather Toomey, principle cyber specialist at the watchdog, warned the trend has the potential to snowball into more nefarious activities. "What starts out as a dare, a challenge, a bit of fun in a school setting can ultimately lead to children taking part in damaging attacks on organizations or critical infrastructure.""

More than half of cyber incidents in schools are caused by pupils, with over a third involving guessed weak passwords or passwords found on paper. Teen hackers are most commonly English-speaking males, and around 5% of all 14-year-olds admit to some form of 'hacking'. Motivations include dares, notoriety, financial gain, revenge, and rivalries. The trend can escalate into damaging attacks on organizations or critical infrastructure. Nearly 23% of incidents stem from poor data protection practices such as unnecessary staff data access, unattended devices, or students using staff devices. One-in-five incidents involve staff sending data to personal devices, and 17% result from incorrect system setup or access rights.

Read at IT Pro