Security

ED Launches K–12 Cybersecurity Government Coordinating Council

• By Kate Lucariello
• 04/23/24

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced a new Government Coordinating Council (GCC) for the Education Facilities Subsector whose aim is to increase cybersecurity protection for K–12 schools.

The new council will be a coordination effort of federal, state, tribal, and local governments to protect schools against cyberthreats, ED said.

The new CISA subsector is one of 16 identified in the Obama Whitehouse's Presidential Policy Directive 21.

This GCC was formed as a response to the increasing number and kind of cyber threats targeting K–12 schools, ED said, such as "ransomware attacks that shut down schools, and data breaches that expose sensitive health, financial, and educational data on students, families, and staff."

The council will work to form "a more resilient and secure K–12 digital infrastructure through structured dialogue and shared best practices," ED added.

This new effort follows on the heels of First Lady Jill Biden's "Back to School Safely" K–12 Cybersecurity Summit in August 2023, which promoted a collaborative, "whole of government" approach to addressing to preventing, alleviating, and recovering from cyber threats.

ED said the council's first meeting brought together various stakeholders — IT professionals, superintendents, school principals, state agencies, and educational service agencies — to form objectives and strategies for going forward.

"The GCC embodies our commitment to ensuring the cybersecurity of our nation's schools," said Cindy Marten, deputy secretary of education. "This initiative represents a monumental step forward in formalizing the partnership between federal, state, and local educational leaders in protecting our K–12 critical infrastructure."