Everyone has heard about the cyber attack on casino giants MGM and Caesars Entertainment in September 2023. It is alleged that the attack on MGM was done via a phone scam that a hacker pulled on a help desk employee. With all the resources available to this mega-corporation, they allegedly were brought to their knees because of human error.
According to the August 2023 CISA bulletin “K-12 Digital Infrastructure Brief: Defensible and Resilient” the role of Educators is as follows:
- As the group tasked with facilitating high-quality teaching and learning to all students, educators (including general educators, special educators, related service providers, paraprofessionals, and others) often see the greatest possibilities and most frustrating constraints when it comes to digital infrastructure. As those often closest to the educational and social-emotional needs of students, educators seek out the most effective tools to meet their students’ needs. They can have a powerful impact by practicing essential cyber hygiene and modeling it for students and families. By collaborating with IT/technology professionals to consider cybersecurity, data privacy, and accessibility when reviewing digital tools, educators can help to ensure all students have access to safe, secure, accessible, and powerful learning experiences.
Educators and staff are an essential part of your Cyber Security plan. It is vital they understand the important role they play in keeping your district safe. (According to Microsoft up to 99% of cyber-attacks are caused by human error.) Using multi-factor authentication to log in to district resources and double-checking email and phone requests is a nuisance and takes time. But so is making sure your home’s doors and windows are locked and the alarm is set before you leave. The same goes for making sure you have car and home insurance and are getting regular checkups and vaccines. Your educators and staff need to understand the lynchpin role they play in keeping your district’s (and their!) information secure. Why do we lock our doors and go to the doctor? Because we know how important it is for our wellbeing. The same is true for cyber security measures.
This week’s suggestion:
· Have you shared with your educators and staff their role in keeping the district safe and the importance of cyber security measures?
· Do you know the ways a bad actor can compromise your network and data via your educators and staff? If you do, have you shared how your educators and staff can protect themselves?
If you would like to learn how CSI can help you mitigate your Cyber risk we are happy to speak with you directly, just contact Lisa MacDougall (lmacdougall@csiny.com) or 845.897.9480.