Cybersecurity experts applauded the K-12 Cybersecurity Act this week, which was signed into law by US President Joe Biden on October 8, formally launching CISA’s investigation into the cybersecurity threats faced by K-12 educational institutions.
The law directs CISA to evaluate the dangers confronting the nation’s schools and then give suggestions and toolkits to school personnel on cybersecurity hygiene.
Hundreds of cyberattacks on schools have occurred in recent years as fraudsters seek valuable student and employee details. Schools are now subjected to a bombardment of ransomware attacks and other events that expose sensitive data from kids and staff.
Biden said that this law emphasizes the importance of safeguarding sensitive data kept by schools across the country. My administration looks forward to providing helpful tools and assistance to help safeguard our schools’ information systems.
The worldwide epidemic has affected an entire generation of students and educators, emphasizing the need to protect sensitive information for them and all Americans.
This legislation is a significant step forward in combating the ongoing danger presented by cybercriminals, malicious actors, and enemies. To combat cyber dangers, the current administration is mobilizing a national effort.
Senators Jacky Rosen, Rick Scott, and Bill Cassidy co-sponsored the bill when US Senator Gary Peters first presented it in 2019.
After her state’s Clark County School District was attacked by ransomware last year, Rosen said she backed the idea.
According to Rosen, schools in Nevada and around the country are increasingly becoming targets for ransomware and other cyberattacks, putting students’, faculty’s, and staff’s personal information in danger.
While the law appears to be straightforward, experts say it will be of considerable assistance to school districts that are often overworked and lack the technical resources to deal with an ever-growing list of cybersecurity risks.
According to Michael Webb, CTO of school security platform Identity Automation, the regulation would accelerate the reforms that have already started as a result of districts being targeted regularly by threat actors.
Webb further said that any amount of assistance is welcome by districts looking to improve their cybersecurity approach.
Others pointed out that the programs will benefit schools that are short on funds and unable to recruit cybersecurity teams.
Few educational institutions have a profound enough grasp of how to defend themselves, according to Untangle senior vice president Heather Paunet, and having formal standards and legislation like this one would assist improve security as a priority in a uniform way across the country.
She stated that cyber criminals request larger payments, and some schools have been forced to close due to the attack.
This law is an excellent starting point, but it cannot and should not be the final step.
