Security

Back To School & CISA – Check Out New Resources!

As school systems reopen this fall for in-person, hybrid or remote learning, it is essential to pay attention to the persistent threat of cybersecurity attacks that can impact services, threaten staff and student personally identifiable information, and deny access to learning resources.  We are also all painfully aware of the lack of in-house resources available to schools and districts to address cybersecurity, making it imperative that we leverage outside resources whenever possible.  Here is a great opportunity to do just that and raise cybersecurity awareness among teachers, staff, p

A CTO's Perspective on the Importance of Cybersecurity

Those responsible for cybersecurity in our districts spend a great deal of time empowering our users with security knowledge and awareness. Yet, we often don't allow any time for us to focus on our own learning.  As IT leaders, we oversee an incredibly complex, data-rich network that is under constant attack. To perform our jobs well, we must carve out time to learn and grow ourselves!
 

Cybersecurity – Offense is Your Best Defense

2020 marked a "record-breaking" year for cyber-attacks against schools and CoSN's 2021 IT leadership surveys found that cybersecurity remains a top concern among chief technology officers across the nation.
I spoke with David, the Director of Information Services in a smaller district (~5000 students) in the Midwest about what his district is doing to prepare for cyber-attacks this school year.
 

Fall 2021: A Fresh Approach to Data Privacy

Back to school season is in full swing. It’s a time of fresh starts and new beginnings for the entire school district. Of course, past challenges haven’t gone away, but the season serves as a reminder that we can approach old challenges with clear eyes and a new perspective. To help bring the spirit of the season to your student data privacy program in the new school year, CoSN Members are invited to take advantage of these Member Briefs, tackling some of the thorniest student data privacy challenges:

EdTech Leaders Cite Cybersecurity as No. 1 Priority, Critical IT Infrastructure Updates Needed

CoSN today released a new report, combining the results of the organization’s long-standing IT Leadership and Infrastructure surveys, to give school districts and policymakers a holistic understanding of the K-12 IT landscape.
 
Tags: 
Broadband
Designing Education Networks
Emerging Technologies
Instructional Focus
IT Management
Privacy
Security

Email Security Essentials

by Keith A. Bockwoldt, CETL

There is a fast growing trend with Phishing scams targeting school districts and businesses alike. Perpetrators are using social engineering tactics to trick people into giving up information. They’re researching organizational charts and reporting structures from your district’s website. This provides them with some initial information to start their scam.

National Education Groups Issue Principles to Guide the Use and Protection of Student Data

Washington, DC (March 10, 2015) – The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and the Data Quality Campaign (DQC), along with 32 leading national education organizations representing parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, state boards of education, chief technology officers and many others, today released 10 principles for protecting and guiding the use of the personal information of America’s students.

Tags: 
Data-driven decision making
Privacy
Security

CoSN Issues Resources to Complement K-12 Education Privacy Toolkit

CoSN (Consortium for School Networking) today unveiled two freestanding resources to accompany its in-depth, step-by-step privacy toolkit. Designed to help school system leaders navigate the complex federal laws and related issues, the complementary resources include:

•    “10 Steps Every District Should Take Today”; and
•    “Security Questions to Ask of an Online Service Provider”

Tags: 
CETL Certification
Privacy
Security

Pages