New California Law Requires Schools to Report All Cyberattacks Impacting 500 or More

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into a law a new requirement for K–12 schools in that state to report any cyberattack impacting more than 500 pupils or personnel, becoming the first in the nation to require disclosure even if a data breach has not occurred.

Federal Appeals Court Ruling Means Class-Action Suits Over Data Breaches No Longer Require Proof of Actual Harm

As ransomware attacks targeting the education sector grab more headlines every week, a new ruling from a federal appeals court has further lowered the bar for people whose data is breached and leaked on the dark web to sue the organizations where the data was compromised, and educational institutions, public schools, and ed tech providers should take heed, an expert warns.

LAUSD Ransomware Attack: A Wake-Up Call for Policymakers?

Though Los Angeles Unified School District leaders framed last weekend's ransomware attack and response as "unprecedented," cybersecurity research shows the only things "unprecedented" were the immediate federal assistance LAUSD received in mitigating the damage and the international press attention — most districts have to fend for themselves, and experts say it's long past time for federal lawmakers to institute real change.

FBI and CISA Release Ransomware Alert on Vice Society Targeting Education Orgs

A joint Cybersecurity Advisory released today by the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center — as those agencies help investigate the Labor Day weekend ransomware attack on Los Angeles Unified School District — warns that Vice Society threat actors are disproportionately targeting the education sector as recently as this month.

5 Things Schools Can Do Now to Boost Teacher Retention

The solution to teacher burnout and turnover lies in ensuring literacy educators are valued, heard, and have access to the science of reading knowledge, as well as tools that are based in the science and empower them by taking some of the work off their plates — here are five things schools can do right now to support teachers and improve retention.

A Cybersecurity Firm Assessed a State's Entire Education System, Finding Thousands of Security Risks

Cyber Security Works, an IT risk management company and partner agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, recently conducted an assessment of an entire state’s public education system, analyzing the security posture across 180 school districts and charter schools, and it found 2,221 potential IT security problems, including scores of vulnerabilities known to have been weaponized by cyber criminals.

Four Ways IT Pros Can Boost Data Protection

A longtime technology professional specializing in data protection and disaster recovery shares four types of tools every K-12 school district should be using to bolster their data protection systems and boost their cybersecurity resilience.

How Aptitude Assessments Provide Data-Driven Direction to Educators and Help Students See Brighter Futures

Aptitude assessments are helpful both at the upper levels of curriculum decision-making and at the granular level with students. Educators and guidance counselors can see the gaps in so-called “career exposure” — for example where students have innate talents or aptitudes but no career interest indicates they may need more information about career possibilities — and the assessments help schools better tailor courses and programs in high school to the career paths that students show talents in and wish to explore as a possible future job.

LAUSD Chief Gets Unlimited Emergency Spending Powers After Vice Society Claims Stolen Data From Ransomware Attack

New details about the Labor Day weekend ransomware attack on Los Angeles Unified School District have trickled out over the past week, indicating that district officials may be negotiating with the threat actors to preserve district data stolen during the incident — and that they are definitely diving into major IT and cybersecurity upgrades.

New Data: Nearly Half of Schools Providing Home Internet Access to Students Who Need It This School Year

Survey results released today by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics shows that as of the start of the 2022–23 school year, almost half of K–12 public schools reported providing internet access to students who need it at their homes, and almost three quarters are providing training on digital literacy for their students.

Video Podcast: How YouScience's Aptitude Assessments Help Educators and Students Match Their Strengths with Course Selections and Career Paths

Aptitude assessments are helpful both at the upper levels of curriculum decision-making and at the granular level with students. Educators and guidance counselors can see the gaps in so-called “career exposure” — for example where students have innate talents or aptitudes but no career interest indicates they may need more information about career possibilities — and the assessments help schools better tailor courses and programs in high school to the career paths that students show talents in and wish to explore as a possible future job.

3 Ways Technology Can Help Schools Address the Mental Health Crisis

As schools respond to the far-reaching mental health crisis in our schools, close collaboration between students, families, schools, community organizations, and support services can be a game-changer, and technology can play a role in making the collaboration easier and automatic. An expert in digital case management systems shares three ways schools can enhance their collaboration practices to better address students' needs.

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