Four Reasons to Pay Attention to K-12 Network Security

At the Cyber Security Initiative’s initial press conference in October, 2003, John Bailey, then the Director of Educational Technology for the U. S. Department of Education, presented the following four points. While the speech was given in 2003, these four points are still relevant today.

1. Protect data

As schools strive to better help each student by collecting data about learning performance and the full range of surrounding factors, the resulting digit data warehouses become increasingly tempting targets for those seeking to change or steal that information.

2. Prevent Misuse of Resources

Educational resources are there to promote learning within and beyond school walls. But without security these resources can be easily highjacked and used for launching denial of service attacks against others, for promulgating viruses, for personal business, and other inappropriate activity. The growing use of wireless makes this an even greater imperative.

3. Prevent Interruption of Operations

If our technology systems are not up and running, they are not adding value to teaching, learning, administration, or any other aspect of the educational process. Without security, the task of keeping things operational will quickly overwhelm whatever resources districts are able to deploy – leaving less time and money available for desired functions and activity.

4. Keep Kids Safe

Parents trust us to keep their children safe during the hours they are in our care. This is simply a non-negotiable requirement that we have to meet.