THE Journal's K-12 Resource Center: Networks and Security -- THE Journal

Networks & Security

How To Evaluate & Nurture Your District's Cybersecurity Readiness

Schools can counter the growing wave of ransomware attacks with the proper tools and resources even in difficult cases where there is little to no involvement from all stakeholders — or if there’s no room in the IT budget for enhanced cybersecurity efforts — by strategically implementing these cyber benchmarks. Continue reading this article ...

Online Safety Provider Family Zone Announces Agreement to Acquire Qustodio
Australia-based online monitoring and safety provider Family Zone today announced it will acquire competitor Qustodio and its subsidiaries in a deal valued at $52 million, according to a news release. Read Full Article
Navigating Schools' Liability Shifts Following the Oxford High School Shooting
A Michigan school district is being held legally accountable for the tragic shooting that took place at its Oxford High School last year, marking an undeniable shift in liability when it comes to school shootings — signaling a shift that school districts can be held responsible for acts of violence on campuses, regardless of whether they had the right technology and protocols in place to help staff identify warning signs and take appropriate preventative action. Read Full Article
Closing the U.S. Homework Gap Using Unlicensed Spectrum
Almost 17 million students had no access to the internet in their homes at the start of the pandemic, while many more were impeded by unreliable internet connectivity and slow speeds. This divide wasn’t only restricted to rural locations; it was mirrored in towns and cities too. Read Full Article

Experts: Schools Will Have to Step It Up, Pay More to Get Cyberinsurance This Year
Cyberinsurance premiums are expected to skyrocket this year as insurers crack down on the amount of risk they’ll accept — and they’re starting to require organizations requesting a quote to prove that their network security is in tip-top shape, industry experts said.

CoSN Survey of IT Leaders Shows Ransomware Underestimated, Cybersecurity Still Woefully Understaffed
The Consortium on School Networking’s latest State of Ed Tech Leadership Survey reveals that despite warnings from multiple agencies and rising incidents of ransomware attacks targeting K–12 schools, IT leaders continue to underestimate the risk of ransomware to their districts, and IT departments remain woefully understaffed with very few having a dedicated full-time employee managing cybersecurity, CoSN said.
Illuminate Data Breach Spreads to Fifth State as Oklahoma City Notifies Parents
Oklahoma City Public Schools has added its 34,000 students to the growing list of those impacted by the Illuminate Education data breach that occurred during a January cyberattack — the first in Oklahoma known to have been among the K–12 schools and districts whose private student data was compromised within Illuminate’s systems.
List of All K-12 Schools Known to be Impacted by Illuminate Breach of Student Data
An updated list of all K–12 schools in the U.S. known to have been impacted by the breach of student data resulting from a cyberattack on Illuminate Education's systems in January 2022.

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The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: A guide for K-12 educators

In March 2021, the US government passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to stimulate the economy in the wake of a devastating public health crisis. Through that bill, almost $123 billion will go to the public K-12 system. Read more...

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