On January 24, 2023, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a report and toolkit titled “Protecting Our Future: Partnering to Safeguard K-12 Organizations From Cybersecurity Threats.” In the report, CISA’s key findings include:
- With finite resources, K–12 institutions can take a small number of steps to significantly reduce cybersecurity risk.
- Many school districts struggle with insufficient IT resources and cybersecurity capacity.
- No K–12 entity can singlehandedly identify and prioritize emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and risks.
In its recommendation to address insufficient IT resources and cybersecurity capacity, CISA encourages applicants to consider cybersecurity grants, utilize free or low-cost services, expect third-party technology services to include strong security controls, and take steps to minimize the burden of security. The report also notes the FCC’s public comment period requesting input from stakeholders on the use of E-rate funding to support additional cybersecurity resources.
CISA’s report may be viewed here.
