Press Release
☷U S Department of Education Announces Key K 12 Cybersecurity Resilience Efforts
U.S. Department of Education ( By Press Release office)
Aug 09,2023
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As students , teachers , and families gear up for the new school year , the U . S . Department of Education ( Department ) has announced some important cybersecurity initiatives for K - 12 education . These include the creation of a Government Coordinating Council ( GCC ) and the release of three K - 12 Digital Infrastructure briefs , one of which was co - authored by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) . These efforts , along with a Back to School Safely: Cybersecurity Summit for K - 12 Schools at the White House , will bring together leaders from the Biden - Harris Administration , education , industry , and advocacy groups to address cybersecurity resilience in K - 12 schools . You can check out the White House event here . U . S . Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona emphasized the importance of managing digital risks in today ' s technology - driven classrooms , while also highlighting the potential benefits of technology in education . He stated that just as we prepare for physical risks in schools , we must also prepare for digital risks . The Department of Education recognizes the significance of K - 12 cybersecurity and is taking steps to address it . Education infrastructure is crucial in the digital age , and prioritizing cybersecurity is more important than ever . The Government Coordinating Council will facilitate collaboration between federal , state , local , tribal , and territorial governments and the education sector to strengthen cybersecurity defenses and resilience in K - 12 schools . This initiative will help schools and districts protect themselves from cyber threats and respond effectively to attacks . The White House summit will play a key role in shaping the strategies and approaches needed to achieve these objectives . “Students across our country deserve to learn in an environment that is not only physically safe and secure , but also digitally . This means schools need the best tools and information available to protect their networks and systems from the full range of cybersecurity threats . ” The product released today from the Department Education and CISA provides K - 12 school districts across our communities with a starting point for understanding the importance of securing our digital infrastructure , and provides steps schools can take today to keep their systems secure . CISA encourages all administrators , school districts , and educators to read this helpful guide and take recommended actions to reduce risks to the digital infrastructure our children use and depend on every day . The White House Back to School Safely: The K - 12 Cybersecurity Summit will serve as an important platform to address the pressing challenges that educators , students , and families face in the digital realm . Participants will discuss key considerations outlined in a recent publication from the Department ' s Office of Educational Technology and CISA titled K - 12 Digital Infrastructure Brief: Defensible and Resilient . Key considerations include: Enhancing continuous risk management: Address the constantly evolving threat landscape by adopting a proactive approach to cybersecurity risk management . Using analogies to understand: Leverage lessons learned from physical world scenarios to comprehensively understand and address cybersecurity challenges . Prioritize and implement mitigation strategies: Identify the most critical risks and implement effective mitigations such as multi - factor authentication , strong password policies , phishing prevention , and regular software updates . Building resilience to cyber incidents: Develop and practice cyber incident response plans to reduce the impact of potential cyber security breaches . Vendor engagement to enhance security: Encourage vendors to invest in secure design principles , obtain cyber risk assurance certifications , and establish vulnerability disclosure practices . Two additional briefs on K - 12 digital infrastructure released by the Department today include “Relevant and Future - Proof” and “Privacy - Enhancing , Interoperable and Meaningful . ” The White House Back to School Safely: The K - 12 Cybersecurity Summit represents a unique opportunity for collaboration , innovation and partnership , with the goal of protecting the digital infrastructure that supports our nation ' s schools . Together , we can create a safer , more resilient future for education in the United States . For more information , visit tech . ed . gov/infrastructure .
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