Well, if you fancy a sit-down chinwag with me today, let’s stir the pot over this disconcerting spike in computer hackings and various cyber incidents in Long Island schools that caught my eye recently. Blimey! The figures were a bit of a nasty shock – there had been a significant surge just in 2023 compared to the previous year. And that jump isn’t some mere pocket change either, we’re talking about a jolly 52% leap!
Now, when you go scrounging around in that data, it turns out that human blunders are right at the heart of this misdemeanour. Picture this, a simple blooper causing an almighty ruckus by exposing all sorts of sensitive student information. I shudder just thinking about it – special educational disabilities, disciplinary issues – it gives me the heebie-jeebies!
Now, you may be thinking, how did we come by this earth-shattering information? Good old-fashioned detective work that’s how. The state Education Department records came to our aid after putting in a Freedom of Information request in true Sherlock Holmes fashion.
The numbers we uncovered paints a crystal-clear picture – and sadly, it’s not a pretty sight. In fact, it’s more like an amplified version of Oliver Twist’s “Please sir, I want some more” moment. Yes, my dear reader, the number of reported incidents is seeing a disturbing snowball effect. 2023, for instance, clocked in 35 cyber incidents at Long Island’s schools compared to 23 just a year before. And taking it back even further, the count in 2022 was double of what had been recorded in 2021. Extraordinary, isn’t it?
And, that’s not even the worst part. Brace yourself for this one – it appears that a good many of these cyber snags were self-inflicted! That’s right, it’s almost as if we’re shooting ourselves in the foot, time and time again. Yet, despite the grim facts, it’s always important to view the glass as half full, or as we Brits like to say – it’s better to laugh than to cry!
What a blooming time to be alive though, right? Imagine the days before the internet, when your deepest darkest secrets were either scribbled in a diary tucked under your pillow or confided in your trusty old mate around the corner who wouldn’t utter a word come hell or high water.
Laughs aside, jokes away, it’s clear something needs to be done about this increasing threat. The prospect of this being the ‘new normal,’ is, excuse my French, bloody appalling. So, till next time, keep those secrets sealed tight and take a jolly good care on the cyber-front. We’re in this together, after all, darling.
by Parker Bytes
