Education has emerged as a primary target for ransomware and cybercriminal campaigns in 2025, with security firms reporting a dramatic uptick in attack frequency and evolving tactics. Check Point data cited in sector coverage shows education organizations endured an average of 4,356 attacks per organization per week in the first half of 2025—a 41% year-over-year increase—while attackers shift strategies to exploit institutional vulnerabilities. The article outlines how attackers have refined extortion methods, targeted backups and pivoted toward data theft and operational disruption rather than simple encryption. Institutions with sprawling research portfolios, legacy IT stacks and third-party vendors are especially exposed. Campus IT and senior leaders must treat ransomware as an enterprise risk: strengthen identity controls, segment critical systems, test incident response with tabletop exercises, secure research backups and accelerate third-party vendor security assessments. Insurers and accreditation bodies are increasingly viewing cybersecurity posture as a compliance and continuity requirement.