October 7, 2024
It hardly seems possible with so many other data – and financially rich targets to choose from, but K-12 education is now the top target for ransomware attacks.
Why? Besides the fact that most students have internet-connected phones and laptops, public schools in particular have far too few IT specialists who know how to implement protective measures and protocols, lead training sessions and monitor networks. Here’s one study from mid-2023 showing that two-thirds of K-12 districts lack a full-time security specialist.
“Education in America has become a primarily digital experience as national testing, assessment and learning continuously moves to digital platforms,” a recent Forbes Technology Council essay notes. “Thus, system downtime is directly correlated to learning loss, and school boards are likely to consider paying million-dollar ransoms to reinstate online learning programs.
“It’s not just ransomware, though. School districts are prime targets for crypto mining operations, social engineering schemes and student record theft, which includes student information alongside sensitive, identifiable information on parents, medical histories and more.”
It’s no wonder bad actors are having a field day—and not the fun kind.
That’s where E-Rate tries to fill at least some of the gap. A quarter-century-old, federally funded, multi-billion-dollar government program, it’s overseen by the Federal Communications Commission and provides discounts of between 20 and 90 percent (based on poverty level and location) to eligible schools and libraries for the following:
- Telecommunications
- Telecommunications services
- Internet access
- Internal connections
- Managed internal broadband services
- Basic maintenance of internal connections.
Additionally, this past June the F.C.C. adopted a $200 million pilot program that “will allow the Commission to obtain actionable data about which cybersecurity services and equipment would best help K-12 schools and libraries address the growing cyber threats and attacks against their broadband networks. From this program, the Commission aims to learn how to improve school and library defenses against sophisticated ransomware and cyberattacks that put students at risk and impede their learning. The pilot program will allow the Commission to gather the data needed to better understand whether and how universal service funds could be used to support the cybersecurity needs of schools and libraries and to share lessons learned with our federal partners to jointly combat this growing problem.”
But wait, there’s more: now school bus Wi-Fi is covered, too, with the dual aims of allowing kids to do school work en route to and from home and keep them better connected to their parents. “We get inquiries all the time about whether or not students, especially younger kids, got off the bus,” JP Prezzavento, Chief Technology and Communications Officer for St. Louis’s Fox C-6 School District, told EdTech magazine. “The hope is we’re going to be able to provide a higher level of customer service to our families through internet connectivity.”
Neal Weaver, Chief Information and Strategy Officer for Santa Fe Public Schools in New Mexico, told EdTech that their aim is Internet connectivity for students on every bus. “For us, it’s about equity and expanding the availability of educational resources for students beyond the walls of the classroom,” he said.
“There are so many factors we have to look at when we’re thinking about when, where and how students connect,” Weaver added. “Education is changing, student access is changing and our ability to meet student needs in as many ways as we can is the beginning to defining whether a school district is successful in its efforts to provide the best educational journey for our students.”
Despite some pushback and criticism—not least of all around the potential challenges of applying for funding—E-Rate and its affiliated programs are attempting to make that easier, and more affordable, to do.
Here’s more info on the program, upcoming training sessions and the application process.
About Mindsight
Headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, Mindsight offers fully managed IT services for organizations in a variety of industries. From cybersecurity to cloud, infrastructure to unified communications, our expert-only solution architects and engineers become an extension of your team, committed to your success.