Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

NSBA Launches New District and School Resource to Mitigate Cyber-Threats

  • 07/31/18

Alexandria, Va., – The National School Boards Association (NSBA) announces the launch of Cyber Secure Schools initiative, a key source of information, tools, and resources, to help districts and schools enhance the security of their networks and data systems, and reduce cyber-vulnerabilities.

“Technology continues to change rapidly and with those changes comes emerging and significant cyber-threats,” said Thomas J. Gentzel, NSBA’s Executive Director and CEO. “Today’s school leaders must be able to familiarize themselves with the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape and take proactive steps to secure sensitive student and staff data and district operations.”

School districts often utilize a variety of technology tools including “free” file-sharing or cloud storage websites, or personal e-mail accounts; all of which can make them vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Potential risks increase even further when an individual uses personal or multiple devices to access school networks or online forums where student data and other confidential or sensitive information may be housed or posted.

Breaches in the education sector have risen since 2015, according to Verizon. Its 2017 Data Breach Investigations report notes that hackers and cyber-attackers are constantly developing new tactics to access systems and data. And while a system can be compromised in minutes, the majority of breaches can take months or longer to discover.

The fragility of district and school-based information and data systems is a growing concern for NSBA. With the increased number of instances and the rising complexity of cyber threats, policies and practices that may have helped a school district avoid potential network and system threats in the past, cannot be relied upon to be as effective tomorrow.

The informative articles, survey data, tools and promising practices available at Cyber Secure Schools will aid districts and schools in identifying threats and recognizing vulnerabilities in their cyber-security policies and practices so that they can make better informed, forward leaning decisions and reduce the likelihood of a hack or cyber-breach.

Featured

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.

  • nursing students talk while studying in a hallway

    Elsevier Launches VR Simulation Solution for Nursing Students

    Elsevier has introduced Shadow Health Lab with Virtual Reality, a simulation platform that allows nursing students to interact with virtual patients and build clinical judgment skills in a safe, realistic environment.