State education officials play a vital role in promoting K-12 cybersecurity

“Regardless of their size or location, elementary and secondary schools increasingly face an onslaught of ransomware and other cyberattacks, which jeopardize sensitive data and the integrity of their digital infrastructure,” wrote Foresight Law + Policy founding partner Reg Leichty in an article published in the […]

Guidance calls for ‘shared responsibility’ among LEAs and edtech providers in developing AI tools

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Education Technology published guidance for developers of artificial intelligence (AI) for educational settings in July outlining ways in which edtech providers can build trust with local educational agencies as they integrate AI into products and platforms. The guidance […]

Cybersecurity is still a top concern for edtech leaders, survey finds

The Consortium for School Networking’s (CoSN) recent report, 2024 State of Edtech District Leadership, covers survey results from industry professionals on topics including education technology (edtech) priorities and challenges, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, student well-being, digital equity, staffing and more.

New federal initiative aims to bolster edtech cybersecurity

The Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) and the U.S. Department of Education announced on May 2 the Partnership for Advancing Cybersecurity in Education (PACE) — an initiative to improve the defensibility and resilience of K-12 digital infrastructure by fostering collaboration between education technology vendors and […]

Lawmakers increasingly target cybersecurity threats in schools, report shows

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) unveiled its 2023 report on K-12 cybersecurity policy developments on Jan. 18, detailing the boom in state and federal education cybersecurity bills and laws that emerged last year. The comprehensive resource highlights notable policy ideas and trends, and offers […]

New K-12 cybersecurity and AI resources available

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has recently made available new resources to support local educational agencies’ cybersecurity efforts and policies surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). Tailored specifically to meet the needs of K-12 institutions, CoSN’s new NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] Cybersecurity Framework […]

New resource calls on state support for small and rural LEA cybersecurity

The State Educational Technology Directors Association’s (SETDA) Cybersecurity & Privacy Collaborative — a network that includes Microsoft and the K12 Security Information eXchange (K12 SIX) — published guidance on Oct. 17 detailing how state agencies and other support organizations are empowering their smallest school districts […]

K-12 ed tech providers pledge to improve software security to reduce cyberattacks

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced on Sept. 5 a voluntary pledge for K-12 education technology software manufacturers to commit to designing products with greater security built in as part of the continued effort to thwart threats to local educational agencies. “We need […]

Federal leaders announce K-12 cybersecurity guidance, resources and more

White House officials and the departments of Education and Homeland Security announced on Aug. 6 public and private initiatives to strengthen K-12 cyber defenses, as well as new guidance documents highlighting cybersecurity recommendations and promising practices from states and districts across the country. Jointly released […]

CSBA press conference calls for support for AB 1023 to boost schools’ cybersecurity resources

“Schools have access to more sensitive information and fulfill a more essential purpose than virtually any other local government agency and deserve robust, focused support to prepare for ransomware attacks,” said CSBA President Susan Markarian during a June 26 press conference held in support of […]