Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Free Resource Helps School IT Departments Plan for Next Disaster

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has released a new guide designed to help school IT leaders prepare for the next disaster that could impact IT systems.

The IT Crisis Preparedness Countdown includes actions schools should take during emergencies, as well as general steps IT leaders can take to prepare for crises and important steps to take after, “from collecting, assessing and reporting information to tracking the status of equipment and operating systems.”

“We urge all districts, regardless of location, to prepare for IT catastrophes — many of which are caused by Mother Nature with short notice. School systems should develop an IT continuity plan that is part of their larger emergency operations strategy. This will help school leaders assess any IT damage, provide stakeholders with status updates, bring critical systems back online and resume operations ASAP,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN, in a prepared statement.

The IT Crisis Preparedness Countdown is available as a free resource on CoSN’s site. Further information about CoSN’s crisis preparedness initiatives can be found at cosn.org/focus-areas/it-management/send-smart-education-networks-design/it-crisis-preparedness.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • digital graph

    Building Genuinely Data-Informed School Districts

    Schools today generate enormous amounts of data. The difference between collecting it and using it effectively often comes down to quality, access, and context.

  • Neon blue security locks with a single red highlight

    With AI, Cybersecurity Focus Shifts from Finding Flaws to Fixing Them

    For decades, one of cybersecurity's biggest challenges has been finding vulnerabilities before attackers do. A growing number of security professionals now say artificial intelligence is changing that equation, shifting the focus from discovering flaws to fixing them quickly enough to prevent exploitation.

  • Top View Shot in Elementary School Computer Science Classroom

    Education's Top 5 Technology Priorities and the Challenges Standing in the Way

    Cybersecurity ranks as the No. 1 priority for education technology leaders in the United States, according to the latest State of Ed Tech report from CoSN, yet insufficient cybersecurity staffing and the lack of a dedicated budget are key barriers.

  • Engineering team implements digital guardrails on AI

    3 Starting Points for Integrating AI Guardrails in K-12 Districts

    As education leaders start to craft an AI policy that is both practical and flexible enough to evolve with this fast-changing technology, there is at least one principle that should be foundational: AI should serve to augment human critical thinking and creativity but never replace human interaction and decision-making.