5 Critical Steps to Cyber Resilience

The Digital Footprint

Expanded dramatically during the pandemic, with classroom deployment of 1-to-1 devices, adoption of remote teaching, the introduction of educational apps, and growing schoolwide use of Internet of Things devices. At the same time, bad actors have become steadily more aggressive in their efforts to compromise school-based networks. Against this backdrop, schools and districts can take a strategic approach. By following five key steps, they can bolster resilience in an increasingly perilous digital landscape with Sonicwall.

In K–12, “cyber security is not a simple task that can be achieved by simply doing one thing,” according to a report prepared for Michigan’s school IT teams. “It is a lot like being a homeowner your roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical and landscaping are just a few things you need to work on and balance in order to have a safe and comfortable resilience for home. Similarly, Cyber Resilience involves many components that all need to be balanced in order to keep your sensitive data away from prying eyes and your computer systems up and functioning.”

Get the budgeting in place

Driven by the need for remote learning, the pandemic unleashed previously unimagined funding opportunities for K–12 schools eager to ramp up their digital learning capabilities. Through three legislative acts, known together to as the Elementary and Secondary Schooling Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, the federal government unlocked some $190 billion for schools in response to COVID-19, the Brookings Institution reports.

In order to harden their IT environments and effectively protect students’ personal data and other key digital assets, school technology leaders need to develop a deep understanding of the various funding mechanisms and how they work. They need to know what programs like E-rate will pay for and be mindful of the deadlines in order not to leave money on the table.

In building an information security budget, IT leaders should start by looking to the long term. Cybersecurity is a moving target, with new threats and remediation needs arising constantly. Budgetary planning should envision an end-to-end approach to security, with the understanding this this will be an ongoing effort.

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5 Critical Steps to Cyber Resilience

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