K12 SIX Invites Input for 2023-24 Updates to Essential Cybersecurity Protections Series

  • By Kristal Kuykendall
  • 05/30/23

Cybersecurity nonprofit K12 Security Information Exchange is inviting K–12 IT and network security practitioners to submit their input and feedback for the upcoming 2023–24 edition of the K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections Series of guides for public schools’ risk management efforts.

The K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections Series is developed by K–12 IT practitioners for colleagues in public schools and is aligned to federal cyber risk management recommendations and best practices. The guides establish “actionable baseline cybersecurity standards for U.S. school districts and provide guidance and tools to support their implementation.” 

The guides are updated annually or as needed to help school security officials keep up with the latest in cyber threats and technological developments; most recently, the K12 SIX school district self-assessment was updated to “incorporate planning tools to assist school systems to close the gaps in identified weaknesses,” the organization said in an email to THE Journal.

Details of the newest updates to the self-assessment guide are explained in K12 SIX’s recent webinar, “Kickstarting Your K-12 Cybersecurity Program: Where and How to Start”; the recording is available at K12SIX.org/k12-kickstart.

In preparation for updating the 2023–2024 Essentials Series, K12 SIX has issued an “open call” for feedback and input from IT practitioners and school security leaders, who can contribute their insights at https://forms.office.com/r/83YnbDDwz4. The deadline to submit feedback is June 30, 2023.

Learn more at K12SIX.org.

About the Author

Kristal Kuykendall is editor, 1105 Media Education Group. She can be reached at [email protected].


Featured

  • stylized illustration of a desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone all displaying an orange AI icon

    Survey: AI Shifting from Cloud to PCs

    A recent Intel-commissioned report identifies a significant shift in AI adoption, moving away from the cloud and closer to the user. Businesses are increasingly turning to the specialized hardware of AI PCs, the survey found, recognizing their potential not just for productivity gains, but for revolutionizing IT efficiency, fortifying data security, and delivering a compelling return on investment by bringing AI capabilities directly to the edge.

  • teenager’s study desk with a laptop displaying an AI symbol, surrounded by books, headphones, a notebook, and a cup of colorful pencils

    Student AI Use on the Rise, Survey Finds

    Ninety-three percent of students across the United States have used AI at least once or twice for school-related purposes, according to the latest AI in Education report from Microsoft.

  • laptop displaying a glowing digital brain and data charts sits on a metal shelf in a well-lit server room with organized network cables and active servers

    Cisco Unveils AI-First Approach to IT Operations

    At its recent Cisco Live 2025 event, Cisco introduced AgenticOps, a transformative approach to IT operations that integrates advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and collaboration across network, security, and application domains.

  • charts and graphs over a softly blurred academic-style background

    New Jersey School District Taps Otus, Discovery Education for Data Insights

    West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District in Central New Jersey has partnered with assessment and data platform Otus and ed tech company Discovery Education to better utilize data to support student achievement.