"National Internet Safety Month: Together, We Can Make Our K-12 Schools Cybersecure. It's Fundamental."
The largest school district in Iowa canceled a day of classes in January due to a cyberattack on their network. The same month, Tucson Unified School District, the largest pre-K-12 school district in southern Arizona, experienced a ransomware attack, leaving some educators unable to access their lessons, grading, or attendance records. In the months since then, there have been many other K-12 cyberattacks, each of which has affected children, communities, and schools. Since schools hold valuable information such as staff and student personal data, they are an attractive target for cyberattacks. Yet, they often lack the resources to implement a comprehensive cybersecurity program. The recent expansion of school networks, which was necessary for remote learning during the pandemic, has left many K-12 schools "target rich, cyber poor." The situation threatens the nation's ability to educate children. June is National Internet Safety Month, which is dedicated to increasing Americans' awareness of cyber threats and empowering them to be more secure and safe online. In addition to promoting best security practices, this is an opportune time to highlight the free resources the US Homeland Security Department's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers to enhance cybersecurity in K-12 education. This article continues to discuss the importance of making K-12 schools cybersecure and the free resources provided by CISA to build K-12 cybersecurity.