Knowing Is Half the Battle... The Other Half Is Cybersecurity Funding for Schools

Zero Breach Zone

Welcome to episode 15 of the Zero Breach Zone podcast, where hosts Phil Hintz and Andy Lombardo discuss their experiences at recent conferences, focusing on cybersecurity strategies in K-12 education. They explore the importance of multi-factor authentication (MFA), the challenges of session timeouts, and the need for continuous improvement in cybersecurity practices. The conversation also highlights the significance of tabletop exercises for incident response and the convergence of physical and cybersecurity measures in schools. The hosts share insights on integrating technology for safety and the necessity of collaboration among various stakeholders. In this conversation, Andy Lombardo and Phil Hintz discuss various aspects of school security, including the importance of enhancing physical security measures, leveraging CISA for audits, and the role of AI in education. They emphasize the need for collaboration and networking within the EdTech community, as well as advocating for increased cybersecurity funding to protect K-12 institutions. The discussion ends with highlighting the significance of engaging with Congress to address these pressing issues and the helpful resources prepared by CoSN to do so.

Key Takeaways:

• MFA is essential but requires ongoing adjustments & MFA should extend to social media accounts
• Session timeouts can pose risks if not managed properly
• Tabletop exercises help prepare for incidents
• Convergence of physical and cyber security is crucial
• Stakeholder collaboration is key in incident response
• Continuous learning from conferences is invaluable
• K-12 cybersecurity threats are rising and we need your voice
• Cybersecurity is a bipartisan issue with real-world consequences
• Parting Tool: Help your district to become a Zero Breach Zone -Urge Congress to Protect and Invest in Cybersecurity Support for Schools- through the CoSN prepared resources:https://cosn.quorum.us/campaign/115693/

Resources Mentioned

• Evil Jinx: https://github.com/kgretzky/evilginx2

Chapters

00:00 Spring Reflections and Conference Recap

03:08 Cybersecurity Strategies and MFA Insights

06:01 Real-World Cybersecurity Challenges

09:06 Tabletop Exercises and Incident Response

12:00 Convergence of Physical and Cybersecurity

14:57 Integrating Technology for Safety

19:12 Enhancing School Security Measures

20:50 Leveraging CISA for Security Audits

22:34 Insights from K-12 Conferences

23:32 AI in Education: Opportunities and Challenges

26:33 Networking and Collaboration in EdTech

31:46 Advocating for Cybersecurity Funding

39:21 Call to Action: Engage with Congress