CYBERSECURITY RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS

The Texas Education Agency recommends a number of free and low-cost cybersecurity resources available to school districts:

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®): A resource for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for all U.S. state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. Membership is free for public K-12 education entities. learn.cisecurity.org/ms-isacregistration added Gabehart. It was a five-year journey to create the staffing model the district currently uses. While funding has increased for the tools used to improve cybersecurity, Gabehart said he had to be resourceful when it came to staffing by shifting positions within the IT department to focus on cybersecurity.

Round Rock ISD also created a cybersecurity governance committee that meets six times a year to discuss new policies and procedures to better protect the district. Gabehart said this has created buy-in by including representatives from the different business areas of the district.

“School district culture is very open,” Gabehart said. “We don’t want to close our doors and limit innovation. It is a balancing act between innovation and security.”

Anderson agrees that districts can benefit by broadening and strengthening their cybersecurity efforts. He hopes the Fund’s efforts to raise awareness about cybersecurity threats, including its recent grant program, can help districts develop detailed efforts to protect their systems and data.

“The best thing any district can do when it comes to cybersecurity is just to do something, start somewhere,” he said.H

Malicious Domain Blocking and Reporting (MDBR): A no-cost service available for MS-ISAC members that provides an additional layer of cybersecurity protection. MDBR technology prevents IT systems from connecting to harmful web domains, helping limit infections related to known malware, ransomware, phishing, and other cyber threats. mdbr.cisecurity.org

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Regional Resources: Provides systems reviews and workshops on a number of cyber threats. cisa.gov

Microsoft Learn: Free for everyone from classrooms to technical staff with a variety of topics on cybersecurity. microsoft.com/learn

Student-focused resources to learn about cybersecurity through gaming:

CyberPatriot: Created by the Air and Space Forces Association for K-12 students with a focus on careers in cybersecurity. uscyberpatriot.org

CyberStart America — Free to grades 9-12 and winners receive scholarships. cyberstartamerica.org