In 75% of cyberattacks targeting education organizations over the last 12 months, IT and security managers cited compromised on-premises accounts as the cause, according to research from cybersecurity vendor Netwrix.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has launched a voluntary pledge for K–12 education technology software makers to “commit to designing products with greater security built in,” the agency said in a news release.
K–12 data and communications software provider SchoolStatus has acquired ClassTag, a unified family communication and engagement platform for educators, schools, and districts, according to a news release.
The Biden-Harris administration has unveiled new public sector efforts and private sector commitments to bolstering cyber defenses across the nation’s public schools, including a new Government Coordinating Council within the U.S. Department of Education to facilitate formal collaboration between “every level of government and the education sector.”
A new in-depth analysis from Internet Safety Labs’ 2022 K–12 EdTech Safety Benchmark Findings reveals alarming data about advertising in apps widely used by schools and finds that state privacy laws and third-party certifications claiming to keep students’ data private are often not making kids any safer.
The parents of two California children are suing Securly, accusing the online-activity surveillance provider of violating California wiretapping and data privacy laws and of violating the federal Video Privacy Protection Act by collecting protected private information without consent and selling it to third-party advertisers.
Microsoft has introduced Visual Studio Code for Education, a new computer science instruction platform that takes students beyond beginner coding and teaches them tools used by professional developers. Microsoft is inviting educators to join the pilot program, try it out in their classrooms in the 2023–24 school year, and provide feedback.
Cloud-based K–12 software provider PowerSchool has signed an agreement to acquire SchoolMessenger from its parent company, West Technology Group, for $300 million and plans to integrate SchoolMessenger’s features with the PowerSchool Student Information Cloud platform, according to a news release.
Google for Education has unveiled a host of new features and integrations at ISTELive 23 happening this week in Philadelphia, all aimed at amplifying teacher impact and improving student outcomes, the company said on its blog.
Special education services and compliance software provider Amplio Learning has opened applications for its new Speech-Language Innovation Grant program, which will award over $500,000 in services to 15 K–12 school districts’ special education programs, according to a news release.