District CIOs recommend following the Cybersecurity Framework created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST. The model recommends five functions to address cybersecurity threats.
Identify: Understand your systems, assets, data and people, and know your at-risk areas.
Protect: Develop a security plan and outline safeguards—such as identity management, authentication, encryption and student/staff training—to prevent threats.
Detect: Create monitoring systems that identify cybersecurity threats when they happen, so you can stop them in the process and get your system back up sooner.
LINK TO MAIN ARTICLE: For edtech, a 360-degree defense
Respond: Be prepared for a security threat to happen and know how you’ll react. Communicate during and after an event with law enforcement, students, parents and the public, as appropriate.
Recover: Debrief after the security threat to find ways to improve your systems and restore downed services.
Carolyn Crist is a writer based in Athens, Georgia.
