On any team, there is someone who has the vision and sets goals, and there is someone on the ground who makes sure those things happen. No team can be successful if the person responsible for getting things done is not working towards the same goal as the person at the top. If even one person in the boat is not rowing in the same direction, you will have a hard time reaching your destination.
When it comes to mitigating your Cyber risk, the person/people in charge of making your Cybersecurity goals a reality are your District Technology Leaders.
According to the August 2023 CISA bulletin “K-12 Digital Infrastructure Brief: Defensible and Resilient” the role of District Technology Leaders is as follows:
As the primary implementers and maintainers of a district’s digital infrastructure, chief technology officers and IT directors are often responsible for carrying out key aspects of mitigating cyber risk and supporting powerful teaching and learning for all students and staff. Technology leaders can create a culture of trust and security awareness by building processes for collaboration and coordination with students, staff, leadership, and outside experts. Technology leaders can also create the conditions for accessibility for all users by working closely with vendors during the design and procurement stages, and, when feasible, including individuals with disabilities in those processes
District Technology Leaders are key in making sure your defenses are the best they can be. As Cyber-attacks continue to increase and get progressively more sophisticated, your defenses against attack need to continue to evolve. It is vital that your District Technology Leader(s) keep you apprised of how these risks are evolving and what they need to keep your district’s network and PII safe. It is important that they keep you in the loop when things aren’t getting done because of issues with funding or personnel BEFORE the worst happens and you are attacked.
This week’s suggestion:
· Do you have a regularly scheduled time to talk to your District Technology leaders to check in on cyber security?
· Do your District Technology Leaders feel comfortable coming to you when they see issues with keeping your district safe from Cyber Attacks or other serious exposures (old equipment, no disaster recovery plan, etc)?
If you would like to learn how CSI can help you mitigate your Cyber risk we are happy to speak with you directly, contact Lisa MacDougall (lmacdougall@csiny.com) or 845.897.9480.