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 Here's What an Update of a Key U.S. Privacy Law Could Mean for SchoolsIn the era of YouTube, Fortnite, and Snapchat, does one of the main federal laws protecting online privacy for kids under 13 need a makeover?
Privacy & Security Audit: Maryland Dept. Did Not Properly Store Data for 1.4 Million StudentsThe Maryland State Department of Education "inappropriately stored" personal information of 1.4 million students and more than 230,000 teachers, leaving them vulnerable to potential bad actors, according to an audit published earlier this month.
Privacy & Security K12 Inc. Data Breach Opens Doors to Students' Personal InformationA K12 Inc. company database that included information for 19,000 students was available for anyone with an internet connection to see for at least a week.Privacy & Security Civil Rights Groups Sound Alarm Over Florida School-Safety DatabaseCiting Education Week's reporting, the ACLU and nearly three dozen other groups asked Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis to immediately halt construction of the new statewide database, scheduled to be operational Aug. 1.
Privacy & Security Schools Are Deploying Massive Digital Surveillance Systems. The Results Are AlarmingTo prevent shootings and suicides, K-12 schools are monitoring digital information, often with little regard for civil liberties.
Privacy & Security District's Plan to Use Facial Recognition Tech for Safety Raises Big Privacy ConcernsThe New York State Education Department has put the brakes on a school district's planned trial run of new facial recognition software aimed at improving school safety.
Privacy & Security Twitter Chat April 9 to Focus on CTO Needs Around CybersecurityTune in to the #edCTOchat on April 9 at 2 p.m. ET for more information about how to fend off K-12 cybersecurity threats and how to handle attacks when they come.
Privacy & Security Video K-12 Cybersecurity: Steps Districts Can Take to Protect ThemselvesSchool systems across the country face a steady stream of cybersecurity threats, from phishing e-mails to distributed denial of service attacks. In this EdWeek video, Associate Editor Sean Cavanagh draws from cybersecurity experts and district officials to talk about common-sense steps K-12 systems can take to mitigate cyberattacks. In some cases, that can mean better training for staff and having detailed plans in place for responding to crises. But it also means having tighter controls on internal networks and who can access them.
Privacy & Security The Best Defense Against Cyberattacks, From a District CTOMelissa Tebbenkamp, the director of instructional technology for the Raytown Quality Schools near Kansas City, says her district's biggest cybersecurity risk is "ourselves."
Privacy & Security 6 Steps for Preventing and Cleaning Up CyberattacksLearn about common-sense measures you can put in place to protect your district against a rising mix of cyber threats facing K-12 schools.
Privacy & Security K-12 Cybersecurity Lessons Learned From 'Constant Barrage of Attacks'In North Dakota alone, the state network used by K-12 schools, state universities, and other public agencies experiences 5.7 million known cyberattacks every month.
Privacy & Security Survey: What School District Tech Leaders Are Saying About CybersecurityA survey by Education Week and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) shows big-city district leaders are more likely than their rural counterparts to say cybersecurity worries are on the rise.
Privacy & Security Opinion Why K-12 Cybersecurity Is Only as Good as the Leadership at the TopDoug Levin, the founder of the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center, argues that superintendents and school boards need to take a more active role in improving cybersecurity.Privacy & Security Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Cybersecurity in Schools?Quiz Yourself: How is our education system impacted by cybersecurity threats and are schools prepared to confront the issue?
