Privacy & Security
Education news, analysis, and opinion about efforts to protect sensitive information and keep students safe online
School Cyberattacks, Explained
Hackers are terrorizing schools with increasingly complex attacks, causing data breaches and more. Here’s what educators need to know.
Special Report
Cyberattacks on Schools
There have been at least 775 publicly disclosed cyber incidents in K-12 schools nationally since 2016. Under normal circumstances, this was a big problem. Now, the coronavirus could make it even bigger.
Special Report
K-12 Cybersecurity
Education Week delves into the nature of the threats facing K-12 systems and the steps they can take to protect themselves. This examination of K-12 cybersecurity is the second of three special reports focused on the needs of K-12 district technology leaders, including chief technology officers.
Special Report
Data
The rising tension between advocates for greater use of data to improve schools and people who are worried about protecting student privacy is one of the most contentious issues in education.
Privacy & Security Schools Suffered at Least 122 Cybersecurity Incidents Last YearThe incidents led to stolen identities, tax fraud, altered student records, and millions of stolen tax dollars, according to the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center.Privacy & Security States Earn Low Grades on Student-Data Privacy Protections From New Report CardA recent report that analyzes the thoroughness and quality of student-data privacy laws passed in the U.S. may be more misleading than it is illuminating.
Privacy & Security Inspector General Blasts U.S. Ed. Department's Handling of FERPA ComplaintsThe backlog of student-privacy complaints from parents goes back years and the department lacks basic controls and procedures.
Privacy & Security Majority of District Leaders Concerned About Cyber Threats, Project Tomorrow Report FindsAccording to a new Project Tomorrow/iboss report, 71 percent of district administrators are concerned about the security of their networks.
Privacy & Security At Age 12, They Hacked Their School District. The Adults Are Still Trying to Catch Up.Jeremy Currier and Seth Stephens should be the cybersecurity workers of tomorrow. Instead, they may be charged with a crime.
Privacy & Security Stronger Data-Privacy Protections for Students and Teachers Needed, Report ArguesA new toolkit from two advocacy organizations, Parent Coalition for Student Privacy and The Badass Teachers Association, aims to help educators deal with the world of data privacy and education technology.Privacy & Security FBI Raises Alarm on Ed Tech and Student Data Privacy, SecurityThe widespread collection of sensitive information via ed tech, combined with often-weak cybersecurity protections in schools, is leaving students at risk, the FBI warned.Privacy & Security Instagram and Teens: What Do You Need to Know?Instagram released a new guide for parents, but outside experts had different messages on what to know about privacy, identity, and healthy use of the platform.Privacy & Security Teacher's Aide or Surveillance Nightmare? Alexa Hits the ClassroomSome teachers are touting the classroom value of smart speakers and digital voice assistants, but concerns about privacy and instructional value abound.
Privacy & Security Beyond FERPA: Five Tips For Protecting Student DataStudent privacy experts addressed best practices for working with ed-tech vendors at a panel.Privacy & Security ISTE 2018: Nation's Largest Ed-Tech Conference Kicks Off in ChicagoFollow Ed Week's coverage of the International Society for Technology in Education, where 22,000 ed-tech enthusiasts will share tips on classroom implementation, data privacy, responding to fake news, and more.Privacy & Security 'Impenetrable' World of Student Data Brokers a Major Concern, Study SaysParents are often unable to determine which companies are selling marketing lists based on students' ethnicity, hobbies, personality, and other sensitive information, a new study found.Privacy & Security Twitter Moving to Block Accounts Created By Underage UsersUsers who signed up to Twitter before they were 13 years old appear to be losing access to their accounts, raising questions for parents, schools, and the ed-tech industry.
Privacy & Security Dozens of New Mexico Students Changed Their Grades Using a Teacher's AccountHow can districts keep administrators' passwords protected?Privacy & Security Amid Privacy Changes, Facebook Will Still Treat U.S. Teens as AdultsFacebook has announced a flurry of privacy-related changes. But teens, like adults, still can't say "I don't want you to get my data in the first place," experts said.
