Virtual Event Agenda

THE Journal IT Leadership Summit: Summer Symposium on Data Security

Over the course of the pandemic, K–12 education became the most targeted sector for ransomware and continues to be one of the major targets for phishing, malware and information theft. How are schools and districts coping with these attacks? In this single-day summit, some of the leading experts in education data security will share their insights, know-how and tips for dealing with cybercrime impacting K–12 institutions.

9 – 9:45 AM PT

Session 1: Ransomware and Its Effects on Public and Private Learning Institutions
This presentation will focus on ransomware and its effects on public and private institutions. From power grids to public schools, no one can truly hide from this threat. The only way to deal with it is head on. We will delve in the appropriate ways to protect your IT environment and understand what to do if something goes wrong. We'll also look at how ransomware takes place and who is doing it.

Presented by: Pierre Bourgeix, Chief Technology Officer and Founder of ESI Convergent LLC.

Moderated by: David Nagel, Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Director, THE Journal

10 – 10:45 AM PT

Session 2: The Cybersecurity Controls Every District Should Implement Now
While educators and students are away, the summer can be the perfect time for districts to level-up their cybersecurity practices. Yet, knowing where to start can be intimidating. There is no shortage of advice and guidance available to enterprise organizations on how to implement a robust cybersecurity risk management program. Yet, most of this advice is not well-targeted to the real-world needs and constraints facing districts, especially those without dedicated cybersecurity staff. The good news is that based on cyber incident data compiled by the K-12 Cyber Incident Map, recent government and law enforcement advisories, and schools-specific information sharing communities like K12 SIX, we now know quite a bit about the most common vulnerabilities and points of weakness in district IT systems. This presentation will highlight a short list of common-sense, cost-effective steps that every district should take to protect their school communities from the most common risks facing districts nationwide. While implementing these controls this summer is not a guarantee that your district will avoid all cyber incidents, they can provide district leaders piece of mind that your school community will be demonstrably safer.

Presented by: Doug Levin, national director of the K12 Security Information Exchange (K12 SIX), a new national non-profit dedicated solely to helping to protect K-12 schools from cybersecurity threats, such as ransomware and phishing attacks.

Moderated by: David Nagel, Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Director, THE Journal

11 – 11:45 AM PT

Session 3: School Lockdown: Cybersecurity Practices that Make a Difference
In 2020 Missouri's Mehlville School District was hit by a cyberattack that diverted a six-figure payment intended for a construction company working with the school system. Before that, a hacker broke into the district network with the intention of changing a user's direct deposit account. In this session you'll hear from Superintendent Chris Gaines and Director of Technology Services Paul Westbrook about how, after those two events, they launched a full-scale program to tighten cybersecurity in the district and get serious about user training.

Presented by: Dr. Chris Gaines, Superintendent, Mehlville School District & Paul Westbrook, Director of Technology Services at Mehlville School District

Moderated by: Di Schaffhauser, Senior Editor, THE Journal

Virtual Sponsor Library

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