Enhanced Cybersecurity for K-12 Schools
ManagedMethods, a leading K-12 cybersecurity company, has launched an AI-powered phishing detection tool designed to protect educational institutions from growing cybersecurity threats. The new feature, called Advanced Phishing, is integrated into the company’s Cloud Monitor platform and utilizes chain-of-thought AI to identify complex phishing attempts in Gmail and Outlook email accounts.
The Advanced Phishing feature is specifically designed to detect emails that impersonate school officials, parents, or vendors. By learning from real-world attacks on schools, the system continuously improves its accuracy while reducing false positives. In addition to flagging suspicious emails, the feature suggests remediation actions and offers automated response capabilities to help staff respond quickly and minimize network exposure.
Phishing remains a significant cybersecurity concern for K-12 institutions. According to the 2024 Sophos State of Ransomware in Education report, according to a news release in Education report, 63% of school districts experienced ransomware attacks in 2023, with over a quarter originating from malicious emails. The median recovery cost surged to $3 million, four times the previous year’s figure.
“Bad actors use sophisticated, socially engineered emails to impersonate trusted sources like administrators, vendors, and even students and parents to steal credentials, deploy ransomware, or trick staff into wiring funds,” ManagedMethods CEO Charlie Sander explained. “Traditional email filters often miss these advanced attacks, leaving schools vulnerable.”
This launch follows the April release of Classroom Manager, another ManagedMethods tool designed to help educators manage online instruction by monitoring student browsing activity and personalizing learning experiences.
