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 What Do Parents Think of Online Learning?Parents are supportive overall of online learning, but have big questions about student privacy, a survey by a nonprofit found.
Privacy & Security School Reopenings Bring Wave of COVID-19 Student-Data-Privacy ConcernsSafely storing videos of classroom lessons and protecting sensitive health information will be a challenge.
Privacy & Security What Educators Really Need to Know About TikTokUber-popular with tweens and teens, the video-sharing platform on which users share short clips is raising concerns about student data privacy and national security.
Privacy & Security N.Y. Lawmakers Voted to Ban Facial Recognition in Schools. One Superintendent Isn't Pleased.New York state lawmakers voted Wednesday to ban facial recognition technology from the state's schools until at least July 2022.
Privacy & Security Facial Recognition Tech in Schools Prompts Lawsuit, Renewed Racial Bias ConcernsThe New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the state education department's decision to approve the Lockport school district's facial recognition system.
Privacy & Security Zoom Unveils New Privacy and Security Features to Address Hacking IssuesThe company has agreed to a host of new security features for all nationwide users, including password-protected invitations and giving meeting hosts control over private chat messages.
Privacy & Security Thousands of Schools Are Falling Short on Students' Data Privacy Rights, Report SaysParents and students can opt out from schools disclosing personal information, but many schools don't make that option clear to families.
Privacy & Security Zoom Use Skyrockets During Coronavirus Pandemic, Prompting Wave of Problems for SchoolsSchools across the country are evaluating their use of the videoconferencing tool, some banning it and others trying to use it safely.
Privacy & Security Massive Shift to Remote Learning Prompts Big Data Privacy ConcernsAn unprecedented number of online interactions between teachers and students from their respective homes introduce new privacy questions that lack easy answers.
Privacy & Security 5 Steps to Curb Cyberattacks in 1-to-1 Computing SchoolsThe proliferation of school-issued digital devices can open schools up to all kinds of cybersecurity problems, especially in schools with 1-to-1 computing programs.
Privacy & Security Using Amazon Echo, Google Home to Learn: Skill of the Future or Bad Idea?The growing popularity of voice-activated technologies is forcing educators to think about the role such tools play in preparing students for the jobs of the future.Privacy & Security Spotlight Spotlight on CybersecurityIn this Spotlight, examine cyberattack statistics, discover how district leaders are combating and preventing cyberattacks and more.
Privacy & Security Opinion The Cyber-Security Problem Schools and Ed. Tech Need to FaceGood intentions alone don't protect our children's personally identifying information, writes Global Cyber Risk's Joel Schwarz.
Privacy & Security Federal Privacy Protections Would Extend to Older Children Under New BillOlder children would be protected by the same online privacy laws that apply to younger kids, under a federal bipartisan bill.
Privacy & Security N.Y. District Will Use Facial Recognition Software, Despite Big Privacy ConcernsA New York State school district has announced it will begin using controversial facial recognition software for school safety purposes, over the strenuous objections of civil liberties advocates.
