Security & Privacy


Registration Opens for CISA's 2023 Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security Set for Nov. 1-2

Registration is now open for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s virtual National Summit on K–12 School Safety and Security on Nov. 1–2, 2023, designed for K–12 education leaders and safety stakeholders from local, state, and federal levels, the agency said in a news release.

Bar graph shows education IT survey responses on most common security incidents experienced in past 12 months and percentage of education organizations operating in the cloud, on-premises or hybrid

Compromised On-Premises Accounts Cited in 3 of 4 Attacks in Education Sector

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.

Making Information Security Everyone

Making Information Security Everyone's Responsibility

Intrusions into education networks have never been more rampant. And at this point, information security is the top concern among IT leaders and administration in K–12 districts. What's more, there is the distinct possibility that AI will compound the problem, while also being used to help deal with threats.

graph from 2023 SETDA State of Ed Tech Report compares respondents answers to "what are top unmet needs in your state" from 2022 and 2023

Cybersecurity, AI Policy Top List of State Ed Tech Priorities

New survey results from the State Education Technology Directors Association underscore the importance of collaboration across agencies and school districts as cybersecurity and AI pose the biggest unmet challenges for public education.

image says K12 Education Technology Secure by Design Pledge

CISA Launches Secure by Design Pledge with 6 Ed Tech Vendors

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.

$375M Added to State, Local Cyber Grant Program, Deadline to Apply is Oct. 6

The Department of Homeland Security has added $374.9 million in grant funding to the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, which is entering its second year, the agency said in a news release.

New SmartPass Products Include Free Digital ID Cards for K-12 Students

SmartPass has launched three new options for its SmartPass Hall Pass solution including SmartPass Flex, SmartPass Attendance, and SmartPass ID Cards, with the latter offered free for K–12 schools, according to a news release.

image shows cover of a new brief from CISA titled K-12 Digital Infrastructure Brief: Defensible and Resilient

New Public, Private Help for K–12 Cyber Defense Efforts Announced at White House Summit

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.”

Cloudflare Offers Zero Trust Program Free to Small K–12 School Districts

Internet security company Cloudflare announced a new initiative at the recent White House “Back to School Safely: Cybersecurity for K–12 Schools” event: it will provide Zero Trust cybersecurity for small public school districts up to 2,500 students at no charge, and with no time limit.

chart shows survey responses from K-12 teachers and parents about how aware they are of their school safety preparedness

New Report Reveals Parents' and Teachers' Critical Perspective on School Safety

A new report from Motorola Solutions reveals parents’ and teachers’ top concerns and how much they know about and are confident in their schools’ safety planning and emergency response preparation.