Cybersecurity is regularly discussed throughout the K-12 educational landscape in terms of web-filtering or social media awareness (ex: anti-bullying campaigns). The internet security and cyber awareness training provided by professional IT organizations protect students from nefarious elements while giving educators and administrators a view into the “electronic schoolyard.” However, K-12 networks store a vast amount of personal data that can be an inviting target for black-hat hackers. With the combination of shrinking municipal budgets and overworked or reduced IT staff, network security best practices can sometimes take a back seat on the proverbial technology bus.
Both public and private schools are responsible for building reliable learning networks and upholding the proper cyber security safeguards to protect student and employee data within K-12 systems and maintaining compliance with national standards such as FERPA, COPPA, and NIST. Today’s school IT director is responsible not only for ensuring that the IT infrastructure works but that it works securely. The K-12 environment is unique as data is frequently accessed by hundreds (if not thousands) of individuals with authorized access, allowing for various threats to privacy and security that present compliance and security challenges for IT directors.
As a leading network security integration leader in the New England region, Vancord provides best-practice solutions for our public and private clients. In particular, our K-12 support teams have integrated various network security fabrics to better protect schools and provide insight tools to monitor, track, and defend school networks.
Be sure to follow Vancord on LinkedIn for the latest news and industry insights, and subscribe to our newsletter to get helpful tips like this delivered to your inbox.
