Page 23 - TIME NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2025

DANGERS OF AI IN CYBERSECURITY

THE HIDDEN RISKS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SCHOOL CYBERSECURITY Meet might just be a threat actor, making demands that

seem legitimate but are ultimately malicious in nature.
AI is also being used in automation, leveraging the same
tools cybersecurity analysts use to detect weak points
in our systems. Malicious software now adapts to avoid
detection, learning from each failed attempt to breach a
system and becoming harder to stop over time.

Real Incidents, Real Consequences
In 2023, employees at a school district in the midwest were
tricked by an AI-generated email that appeared to come
from their IT director. The result? Malware was installed on
several devices, leading to a week-long outage. In another
case, attackers used AI tools to map out the structure of a
district’s network before launching a ransomware attack.

How Districts Can Stay Ahead
Getting ahead of these attackers and understanding these
risks is going to be key for school districts in order to
protect their environments in the future. The importance
of keeping human oversight and having IT staff regularly
review alerts and decisions made by AI systems cannot
be overstated. Expanding annual security awareness to
include examples on these new phishing attempts and
deepfake attack techniques can go a long way in educating
the group most often targeted. Vendors leveraging AI
should ensure that the tools are explainable, tested for
bias, and protected from manipulation. Finally, consider
running tabletop exercises or “red team” tests to see how
well your defenses and staff respond to realistic threats.

Final Thoughts
AI can be a powerful part of a district’s cybersecurity
plan, but it’s not magic. Its effectiveness depends on how
thoughtfully it’s used. As AI becomes more common in
both education and cybercrime, school districts must stay
educated in its capabilities and continue putting people at
the center of decision-making.
By balancing innovation with vigilance, we can protect not
just the network, but the trust of every student, teacher,
and parent we serve.

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