Why K-12 Needs to Prioritize Cybersecurity: Lessons Learned from the DHS Forum on Prevention

Data. It’s a simple word that often gets lost in translation. However, the data footprint is vital, and we all have one. As a student or community member, if you are online, you are creating valuable data. Even with growing concern over privacy and access issues, only 22% of school administrators view cybersecurity as a threat. The importance of cybersecurity protection, especially for school districts, is becoming increasingly important as more school and state leaders become aware of how valuable student information is to those looking to steal it. In the complex and evolutionary world of cyber threats and attacks, it is difficult to know where to start and how to keep up. How can state and district leaders protect their students? What is the best course of action?

These questions and more were addressed on January 25th and 26th during the Digital Forum on Prevention, hosted by the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) along with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) School Safety Task Force and the Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology. This Forum featured two days of online panels and workshops of experts, researchers, and practitioners. Within four panels and two workshops, 833 attendees, 48% of which self-identified as being from the education field, heard discussions between experts and leaders on a public health-informed strategy to prevention, online safety, and multidisciplinary approaches to student and educator well-being, as well as learned of preventative solutions including improving digital literacy, critical thinking skills, and cybersecurity resources to build resilience.

The fourth and final panel of the forum, titled “Cybersecurity in Building Resilience” discussed ways in which CISA, the Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology (OET), local education agencies (LEAs) and state education agencies (SEAs), and educational nonprofits are working together to prioritize cybersecurity for K-12 schools. Moderated by Marlon Shears, Chief Information Officer from Fort Worth Independent School District, the panel featured diverse representation in the emerging K-12 cybersecurity field including the Office of Educational Technology’s Deputy Director, Kristina Ishmael, Sean McAfee, Deputy Branch Chief of Cyber Defense Education and Training at CISA, Doug Levin, co-Founder and National Director of K12 Security Information Exchange, David Mendez, Information Security Lead and Technical Project Manager at Region 10 Education Service Center, Rod Russeau, Director of Technology and Information Services at Community High School District 99 and Chairperson for the Consortium for School Networking Cybersecurity Initiative.

Of the topics discussed, the panel members gave special consideration towards the importance of why state and local government leaders need to prioritize cybersecurity, what educators and teachers can do to protect students right now, and how we can promote resiliency and good online habits for both learners and educators in the coming future...

https://medium.com/@OfficeofEdTech/why-k-12-needs-to-prioritize-cybersecurity-lessons-learned-from-the-dhs-forum-on-prevention-331483bfdc7c