Just this past year, K-12 districts achieved a dubious new milestone: They surpassed hospitals, government offices and other public-sector targets to become the most frequent victims of cyber attacks, according to a January 2024 report from the antivirus software company Emsisoft. This shift, coupled with the accelerating adoption of ed-tech tools, presents unprecedented cybersecurity challenges for schools.
From our day-to-day interactions with district superintendents (and for one of us, from former experience as one), we know they feel a growing sense of anxiety and responsibility when it comes to ensuring the security of their technology systems. And with good reason: K-12 school systems, with their wide range of end users, including students as young as 4 or 5 years old, are particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks. Districts also make attractive targets for cyber criminals with millions — if not billions — of dollars and a wealth of personally identifiable information (PII) passing through their systems. This vulnerability, coupled with the valuable assets they possess, may also explain why school districts face increasing pressure from insurance companies to deploy top-notch practices that reduce their vulnerability to these attacks.
However, as former teachers, we know that adopting and following such practices can be particularly challenging for schools — precisely because they are schools. While modern classrooms, like our companies, have become increasingly dependent on technology, the similarities end there. Classrooms, with one teacher responsible for engaging multiple young learners simultaneously, present unique challenges when it comes to cybersecurity. This is why, as school districts adapt to an increasingly digital-first world, they will need to implement K-12-specific cybersecurity strategies that consider first and foremost the need for seamless learning experiences in the classroom. In developing and deploying these strategies, district leaders should consider the following factors: