Cybersecurity firms report a sharp rise in ransomware and targeted attacks against education institutions—universities now face thousands of weekly probes and a change in attacker tactics that increases risk to research data and student records. Check Point found education organizations endured an average of 4,356 attacks per organization each week through mid‑2025, a 41% increase year‑over‑year. Attackers have shifted techniques, and ransomware groups now pursue more sophisticated extortion models that combine data theft, operational disruption and targeted phishing. Higher‑education networks’ open research environments, decentralized systems and third‑party partnerships increase exposure. Security experts advise universities to harden identity and access controls, segment research networks, invest in rapid incident response and prioritize backups—actions that can be costly for cash‑strapped institutions but are increasingly essential to protect federal research grants, student privacy and institutional continuity.