How to prepare for a school cybersecurity audit

A cybersecurity audit can help provide assurance that your school IT environment is secure

Key points: School cybersecurity audits don’t have to be stressful. If you know what to expect, you can be well prepared and set yourself up for future success. The effort put into the first audit will also pay dividends in the future–once the first audit has been completed, subsequent audits … Read More

Privacy and data protection are driving edtech adoption trends

The rapid evolution of emerging technologies, coupled with the strain on already-stretched teams, makes urgent action necessary

Key points: When considering industries such as finance or healthcare, the potential for sensitive data to fall into the wrong hands is a common concern. These sectors are prime targets for cybercriminals due to the financial and personal information they store. But there is another critical area often overlooked in … Read More

How schools can take full advantage of the FCC’s new cybersecurity program

Schools need to strengthen their cybersecurity postures, and programs like the FCC pilot can help

Key points: K-12 school districts are becoming an increasingly popular target of ransomware operations and other cyber threat actors. Ransomware attacks alone targeted 108 U.S. school districts in 2023–more than double the 45 attacked in 2022. Just as the 2024 school year was about to start, a ransomware attack shut … Read More

Preparing for evolving ransomware threats in 2025

Schools must embrace an "assume breach" mindset and strengthen internal defenses so that breaches don’t become cyber disasters

Key points: In its 2024 threat assessment report, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security declared K-12 school districts “a near constant ransomware target.” The report attributed this alarming trend to budget constraints within school IT departments, insufficient dedicated cybersecurity resources, and the troubling success cybercriminals have had in persuading schools … Read More

How schools can fight growing ransomware attacks

Cyber criminals are a growing threat to schools and to students’ privacy, making data security extremely important

Key points: The education sector is facing a growing and multiplying menace: a surge in cyberattacks by ransomware groups that are leveraging generative artificial intelligence and other sophisticated tools. Recently, a software provider was the target of a data breach that affected K-12 school districts across the U.S. As a … Read More

Schools must bolster network continuity as they adopt more technology

Online learning requires constant connectivity so students to access learning materials and turn in assignments

Key points: Technological innovations have always been a vital aspect of education, with today’s classrooms coming a long way from chalkboards and overhead projectors to the latest in cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Network infrastructure is at the heart of these modern technologies, enabling the resources … Read More

Protecting our students: The urgency of securing education data

Protecting all data is important, but safeguarding the personal information of young students is especially critical

Key points: When considering industries such as finance or healthcare, the potential for sensitive data to fall into the wrong hands is a common concern. These sectors are prime targets for cybercriminals due to the financial and personal information they store. But there is another critical area often overlooked in … Read More

Beyond the visible: Recognizing and accommodating invisible disabilities

More conversations are needed around access and protections for those with non-apparent disabilities that aren’t always addressed

This post on accommodating invisible disabilities originally appeared on CoSN’s blog and is reposted here with permission. Key points: The concept of accessibility for individuals with disabilities has been an evolving journey, significantly propelled by landmark legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Enacted over three decades ago, … Read More

Why AI in the classroom needs its own ‘doll test’ 70 years post-Brown

AI chatbots could become the new face of discrimination in education--they have the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities and create new ones

Key points: As we mark the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, it’s worth reflecting on a simple experiment’s role in dismantling the doctrine of “separate but equal.” In the 1940s, psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark conducted the now-famous “doll test,” which revealed the negative … Read More

High school computer science classes might expand in Michigan–will that address equity issues?

Some stakeholders worry that under-resourced schools will struggle to offer high-quality computer science courses due to a lack of certified staff

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters. In her two years of high school at Dearborn Public Schools’ Virtual K-12 school, rising junior Weaam AlAliyi has already learned about computer programming, understanding algorithms, and data analysis in three computer science courses. Weaam believes … Read More