Educational institutions face rising cyberattacks and AI-driven bullying

The educational sector is facing a dual threat from rising cyberattacks and evolving forms of bullying. According to data from Check Point, cyberattacks on educational organizations have surged globally, reaching an average of 5,354 attacks per week per organization in August, a 28% year-on-year increase. In the Czech Republic, organizations faced an average of 2,679 weekly attacks, marking a 23% increase compared to the previous year.

Parallel to these digital security threats, schools are grappling with changing patterns of bullying. Reports from the Czech School Inspectorate indicate that 57% of primary schools and 63% of secondary schools deal with bullying. While verbal abuse and social exclusion remain common, there is a notable rise in cyberbullying facilitated by artificial intelligence. Educators note that as students age, bullying often shifts from physical confrontation to more subtle, harder-to-detect forms such as long-term social isolation, mockery, and online harassment within closed social media groups.