Although cybersecurity continues to be the top priority for K-12 IT leaders, they underestimate the risks to their systems, according to a new survey by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).
With at least a half-million cybersecurity positions unfilled in the United States, Federal experts and educators said closing the gap on the shortage of cybersecurity professionals begins with cyber education efforts, particularly at the K-12 level.
A new report published by the non-profit K12 Security Information Exchange (K12 SIX) finds that while the number of publicly-disclosed cyber incidents at K-12 schools decreased in 2021, the actual number is “surely bleaker,” emphasizing the need for more and better information sharing about K-12 cyber incidents.
In the wake of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report encouraging the Departments of Education and Homeland Security (DHS) to update K-12 cybersecurity guidance, several Democrat senators have written to both agencies urging them to heed GAO’s recommendations, and establish critical infrastructure council structures to advance the issue.
With K-12 educational institutions increasingly targeted by ransomware and other cyber attacks during the coronavirus pandemic, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is pushing the Department of Education to update its plans – which currently date from 2010 – for addressing cyber risks faced by schools.
Two Kennesaw State University (KSU) professors have launched a program to teach K-12 students cybersecurity basics through virtual reality video games.
The House Committee on Homeland Security approved two cybersecurity-focused bills – the K-12 Cybersecurity Act and the DHS Software Supply Chain Risk Management Act of 2021 – during a markup on July 28. The two bills will now head to the full House for consideration.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., emphasized the significant national and international generational learning loss from academic disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of the government in combatting this issue during a July 15 webinar hosted by Axios.
Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, asked Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to ensure that schools nationwide are aware that they can use Federal funding from COVID-19 relief bills to improve cybersecurity.
Elevate K-12, an instruction technology company, announced that it is partnering with school districts nationwide to create home-based live virtual learning options that will launch later this summer.
