The U.S. Department of Education recently announced key K-12 cybersecurity resilience efforts, including the establishment of a Government Coordinating Council and the release of three K-12 Digital Infrastructure briefs.
These efforts and others, including the recent Back to School Safely: Cybersecurity Summit for K-12 Schools, which was held at the White House, will unite leaders from education, industry and advocacy groups to make advancements on cybersecurity in the K-12 education community, according to a news release.
“Let’s face it: in today’s digital age, our students and their teachers will increasingly use technology in the classroom. Schools have access to more devices and connectivity than ever before, and this technology in education has incredible potential to help students better connect with their learning and achieve, and teachers better engage with their students,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “But to make the most of these benefits, we must effectively manage the risks.”
The Government Coordinating Council will coordinate activities, policy and communications between federal, state, local, tribal and territorial governments that strengthen the cyber defenses and resilience of K-12 schools. By facilitating formal, ongoing collaboration between all levels of government and the education sector, the GCC will be a key first step in the USDOE’s strategy to protect schools and districts from cybersecurity threats and for supporting districts in preparing for, responding to and recovering from cybersecurity attacks.
The K-12 Digital Infrastructure briefs being released include:
- “K-12 Digital Infrastructure Brief: Defensible and Resilient,” which was co-authored by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
- “Adequate and Future-Proof.”
- “Privacy-Enhancing, Interoperable and Useful.”
Learn more in the full news release.