Information Technology

Information, news and features for the education sector IT professionals


line graph shows K-12 education saw a massive increase in ransomware attacks in 2022 over 2021

Ransomware Targeting K-12 Grew a Massive 827% Last Year, SonicWall Reports

Ransomware attacks targeting K–12 schools worldwide last year grew at an “absolutely massive” rate of 827% over 2021, according to SonicWall’s 2023 Cyber Threat Report, and the data shows that education customers — those whose data is compromised during ransomware attacks — had the highest percentage reporting ransomware attempts of all sectors studied.

Photo representing ransomware with THE Journal logo

CISA Alerts on Seven New Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

In the past week, CISA has published alerts on seven known exploited vulnerabilities — two of which put a long list of Apple devices at risk — ordering federal agencies to remediate the identified vulnerabilities immediately and encouraging all organizations to do the same.

Graphic shows a chart from IDC on IT spending totals and projections

Analysts: Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 5.5% in 2023 as Digital Transformation Continues

Worldwide IT spending is projected to increase 5.5% this year to a total of $4.6 trillion by the close of 2023, according to the latest forecast by market researchers at Gartner, while IDC analysts detailed a decline in spending on non-cloud infrastructure and devices but project significant growth in cloud infrastructure spending.

Ed Tech Groups Ask FCC to Extend Emergency Connectivity Fund Deadlines

Two prominent education technology-focused associations have teamed up to ask the Federal Communications Commission to extend service delivery dates for the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

What K-12 IT Leaders Need to Know About the Proposed Expansion of E-Rate Eligible Services

A Funds For Learning E-rate expert shares what K–12 procurement officers and IT leaders need to know so they can be prepared to apply for the expanded funds if and when the FCC decides to expand the E-rate eligible services list — particularly if the expansion plan of choice means that the amount of E-rate funds to cover modern cybersecurity services is limited, at least for the first few years.

illustration created by DALL-E shows a teacher in front of a blackboard wielding a sword over a futuristic robot. Text reads "expert viewpoint" with logo for THEjournal.com

Why Our Technology Nonprofit is Embracing ChatGPT and AI in Education

A technology educator shares how her nonprofit is using ChatGPT to help students participating in Technovation programs go further in their brainstorming and ideation as they aim to develop AI-based solutions to real-world problems. Here’s a concrete example from our program: Students in one group were interested in developing technology-based solutions to food wastage and conservation, encouraging more students to read, exercise, and be more inclusive.

Blackbaud Fined $3M for 'Failing to Disclose' That Ransomware Attack Breached Private Data

Blackbaud, a South Carolina-based provider of administrative, donor management, and CRM software to education and nonprofit organizations, has been fined $3 million by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission "for making misleading disclosures about a 2020 ransomware attack that impacted more than 13,000 customers,” the federal agency said.

Screenshot of MathGPT Platform website says Algebra 2e with a robot character

GotIt Unveils MathGPT Platform Custom Option for Math Education Providers

Expanded multi-modal MathGPT Platform possibilities mean any math content or curriculum can be turned into a personalized GPT-powered chatbot with interactive text, audio, and video learning, and GotIt can configure the MathGPT Platform to work with a wide variety of applications in math education, the company said.

16 Products Achieve 1EdTech OneRoster 1.2 Standard That Makes Tracking Student Progress Simpler

A collaboration of ed tech providers led by nonprofit 1EdTech Consortium has resulted in an updated open standard for interoperability that allows K–12 school districts to automatically combine assessment results and grades from districts’ various platforms and tools, enabling teachers and administrators to see all their students’ results data in one place.

AR/VR Headsets See Major Decline as Mixed Reality Emerges

Augmented and virtual reality headsets experienced a double-digit decline over the last year. Worldwide, AR/VR headset manufacturers shipped 8.8 million units in all of 2022, down 20.9% over the previous year, according to a new report.